A consumer study has found that almost half of the white brine cheeses tested under Bulgaria’s “Care Basket” campaign contained more than 60% water, with three products exceeding 65%, according to the consumer organization Active Consumers. The organization said such levels raise serious concerns about the quality and suitability of the products for consumption.
Researchers tested 12 brands of white brine cheese and six brands of butter carrying the campaign’s logo. Five of the cheese products had a water content above 60%. One product was also found to contain only 5% fat, which Active Consumers said could indicate the use of powdered milk.
Further reading: Bulgaria's Agriculture Minister: 'The Care Basket' Is an Absolute Success
“Unfair producers and traders are clearly taking advantage of the government’s campaign to abuse quality under the banner of low prices,” Active Consumers said. The organization called on the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency to effectively identify and prevent the sale of dairy products that do not meet safety and quality requirements while being promoted through the initiative.
The samples were purchased from 10 retail chains in Sofia, Varna and Tervel. Before being sent for laboratory analysis, researchers recorded information from product labels and receipts, then coded and repackaged the samples so their identities would not be known during testing. Three separate physicochemical analyses were conducted to determine key quality indicators.
