The National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) announces, on Thursday evening, that it has discovered differences in the composition of several Fanta products sold in various European states, noting that if the legislation has been violated and the double standard is proven, then the manufacturing company risks a fine up to 4% of turnover, according to News.ro.
Soft drinks, different brandsPhoto: Paul ELLIS / AFP / Profimedia
ANPC sent, on Thursday, through a press release, that, 5 months ago, it sent an alert, within the Internal Market Information system of the European Commission, requesting the verification, in the member states of the European Union, of the labels of Fanta products Oranges, Zero Sugar Orange Fanta and Lemon Fanta.
The cited source mentions that, if it is established that there has been a violation of the legislation at the cross-border level, the double standard will be sanctioned, according to the legal provisions in force, with a contravention fine in the amount of up to 4% of the turnover of the production and distribution company, which, in the case of Romania alone, could amount to over 20 million euros.
The president of ANPC, Horia Constantinescu, said that he will not accept Romanians being treated as second-class citizens.
“I send a firm message to all producers, distributors and traders who have products for sale in several European countries: We are all equal, we have the same rights and we must be respected in the same way! We will continue the actions until we come to an understanding. Regardless of the name and size of the economic operator, ANPC and I personally will do everything in our power to ensure that your rights, as European citizens, are respected!”, said Horia Constantinescu.
During the analysis of the labels of these products marketed in the EU, in the case of the product Fanta Oranges with sugar or with sugar/sweeteners, the content of orange juice is as follows:
- below 5%, in 3 member states,
- 5%, in 13 member states,
- 6%, in 4 Member States,
- 8 %, in 3 Member States,
- 12%, in 2 member states,
- 20%, in 2 member states.
Romania is in the list of 13 countries with an orange content of 5%.
In the case of the Fanta Orange Zero Sugar product (with sweeteners), the orange juice content differs as follows:
- 3%, in 10 member states,
- 4%, in 5 member states,
- 7%, in 2 member states,
- 8 %, in a Member State,
- 12 %, in a Member State.
- Romania is in the list of 10 member states.
In the case of the Fanta Lemon product (with sweeteners), it has a different lemon juice content, as follows: 1%, in 3 member states
- 3%, in 5 member states
- 6%, in 4 member states
- 12 %, in a Member State.
In this case, Romania is on the list of 5 member states.
“Also, significant differences were recorded regarding the use or not, in these 3 products, of certain additives with coloring property and the differentiated use of ingredients, compared to the general formula. There are also differences regarding the sweetening options, in the case of products from the Fanta Orange range, at the EU level, namely:
- exclusive sugar content, in 5 member states
- mixture of sugars and sweeteners, in 15 member states
- the use of fructose-glucose syrup, in 2 member states
- the use of sugar mixture and fructose-glucose syrup in a member state
- the use of fructose-glucose syrup and sweeteners in 4 member states”, ANPC also specified.
The National Authority for Consumer Protection also mentioned that, also from the analysis of the labels on the products from the Fanta Orange range, it emerged that ingredients with a coloring role are used differently, at the community level, as follows: carrot concentrate, in 2 states members; dyes, in a member state; carotene, in 24 member states. (News.ro)
