The Commission for the Protection of Competition has imposed heavy financial sanctions on two Bulgarian companies for distributing fake cow butter on the market, the regulator's press center reports. During a large-scale inspection of the institution, provoked by the competing company "Rostar BG" OOD, it was found that the product, sold under the prestigious name "Deutsche Markenbutter", contains over 95% non-dairy fats. Instead of pure dairy ingredients, vegetable oils and lard were found in the packages, which completely misleads consumers and hides serious risks.
Laboratory analyses of the distributed product have revealed shocking discrepancies with the official label and state standards. Instead of milk, palm oil, coconut and palm kernel fats, soybean and sunflower oil were found in the mass-marketed packages.
The most striking discovery in the experts' research is the presence of lard. According to the current legislation, in order for a product to be called “butter“, it must be produced entirely from dairy components. In this particular case, the replacement of the ingredients is almost one hundred percent, which turns the product into an imitation product of the lowest class.
Due to the drastic violations found, the antimonopoly authority imposed serious financial sanctions on the two responsible companies that imported and distributed the product. The company "Class Food" EOOD will have to pay a property fine of 186,319.87 euros.
The second company that participated in the distribution scheme on the Bulgarian market — "Alfa SD" OOD, has been sanctioned with 123,369.62 euros. The entire proceedings before the regulator were initiated after an official request from "Rostar BG" OOD, and the decision has already been entered and made available in the institution's public electronic register.
The Commission for the Protection of Competition emphasizes that such practices distort the market environment and rewrite the rules of fair trade. The designation "Deutsche Markenbutter" is a well-known and strictly defined German standard for high quality, which also enjoys great trust among Bulgarian consumers.
The misuse of this designation was aimed at attracting buyers by deceiving them about quality. Along with the economic damage to the market, the CPC warns that the hidden use of allergens such as soy and unaccounted animal fats creates a direct risk to the health of citizens who rely on correct information on the labels.