The Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) in Bulgaria has imposed fines totaling 309,689 euros on two companies over the misleading marketing of a product presented as butter.
The sanctions target “Class Food” EOOD and “Alfa SD” OOD, which were found to have marketed a product labeled “Deutsche Markenbutter” despite it containing more than 95% non-dairy fats. According to the CPC, the composition included palm oil, coconut and palm kernel fats, soybean and sunflower oil, as well as lard.
The regulator ruled that the product’s labeling violated Article 31 of the Law on the Protection of Competition, which prohibits providing misleading information about essential product characteristics. Authorities also warned that such practices can significantly influence consumer choices and pose risks due to misrepresentation of food composition.
“Class Food” EOOD was fined 186,319.87 euros, while “Alfa SD” OOD received a penalty of 123,369.62 euros.
The investigation was initiated following a complaint by Rostar BG OOD and included laboratory testing that confirmed the high proportion of non-dairy fats in the product. Officials stressed that butter must be made entirely from milk, meaning products with predominantly vegetable fats cannot be marketed as butter.
