Coca-Cola scandal continues: Orbán cabinet’s strongman would modify law

Italians drink higher quality Fanta than their Hungarian peers even though the branding is not different in the two countries. Coca-Cola acknowledged the differences, while the Hungarian authorities said the company did not breach dual quality regulations. János Lázár, one of Orbán’s strongmen, harshly criticised Coca-Cola’s practice and urged stricter rules.

Fanta is different in Hungary than in Italy, Coca-Cola acknowledges

We wrote HERE that Italian Fanta had more than double the orange content than its Hungarian version. In Hungary, the orange juice from concentrate in a bottle of Fanta is approximately 5%. Meanwhile, that is 12% in Italy, which is why they differ both in appearance and taste. The Italian version is much closer to the taste of real oranges since it is slightly tart.

The National Food Chain Safety Office (Nemzeti Élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági Hivatal, Nébih) has previously investigated the manufacturer’s products for similar reasons and found no legal violations. The agency explained that having the same branded product with different compositions in different countries does not necessarily breach dual quality regulations. According to the Nébih, “the composition set by the manufacturer is influenced by the preferences of consumers in each country, referred to as “national taste preferences”.

Orbán’s strongman slams Coca-Cola, Aldi, Lidl, Spar

This is where Construction and Transport Minister János Lázár, one of Orbán’s strongmen, enters the game with a Facebook post. He said nobody should consume sugary drinks, but the quality difference is outrageous. He added that the state institution accepting Coca-Cola’s explanation cannot fulfil its task. He said that was a question of the Hungarians’ health.

Therefore, he suggests stricter regulation and wants a system that can follow the way of foods and he would like to stand up against players taking advantage of the suppliers and robbing the buyers.

Lázár slammed Spar, Lidl and Aldi, saying they are only interested in the profit, and that makes Hungarians vulnerable. “They deceive us with quality, but the biggest problem is with unhealthy food”, he added. Lázár suggested that multinational companies try to sell “unsellable garbage” in Hungary. Therefore, he urged state control in the market.

Vitézy slammed Lázár for not dealing with railway problems

Criticism came from an unexpected source: Dávid Vitézy, a former mayoral candidate in Budapest backed by Orbán’s Fidesz. Vitézy suggested Lázár should deal with the problems of the Hungarian railway, where Intercity trains are delayed 30 minutes, air conditioning does not work, and the situation is just getting worse. Vitézy highlighted that MÁV has not been this inaccurate for decades.

He said the situation got worse in the last two years, under the leadership of Lázár. That is because the minister halted all railway investments, the purchase of new trains and locomotives, and introduced cheap passes and tickets generating considerable losses. Furthermore, he torpedoed the creation of a national traffic organising institute and brought the morale at MÁV down. Vitézy highlighted those problems were more serious than Fanta’s orange content.

Lázár does not stop: he calls Győr, Nyíregyháza and Hódmezővásárhely cheaters of the national traffic system

His reason is that the state-owned Volánbusz operates public transport in those cities, but they do not pay for it. The “loss” they made reached HUF 4.5 billion (EUR 11.5 million). “That is the robbing of the country and the passengers”, he wrote on Facebook. He added they would collect the debt and spend it on modernising the Volánbusz fleet.

Read also:

• Coca-Cola scandal? Hit drink strikingly different in Hungary than elsewhere – Read more HERE
• Hungarian cider winery won a prestigious prize! – PHOTOS and more in THIS article

Featured image: depositphotos.com