Even though some food products may have Slovak names and pictures of the Tatra Mountains on the labels, many products on Slovak supermarket shelves have little to do with Slovakia when it comes to their content. Creative advertising, confusing logos, and quotes such as “Made from local and imported ingredients” mean consumers run the risk of being misled in their efforts to buy more Slovak-made goods.
The Ministry of Agriculture wants to put an end to such practices by creating a committee and preparing guidelines for manufacturers which want to have their foodstuffs labelled as Slovak. Market researcher and analyst Ľubomír Drahovský says while the idea could bring benefits in some cases, it could also bring even more chaos and confusion to the consumer, adding that, “The consumer is governed primarily by price, so these marketing tools may actually have minimal impact”. The Ministry of Agriculture wants to see rules in place which determine at what point more complex, processed products could be considered Slovak, whereby food must contain at least three-quarters of raw material and ingredients from domestic sources. In addition, all production phases must take place within the country’s borders. Additionally, products will need to be assessed by a committee under the Ministry of Agriculture in order to carry the Made in Slovakia label. Sentiment towards domestic products relies heavily on price however, says Drahovský, adding that if a foreign product undercuts the local product on price, it will have a higher change of making its way into the shopping cart.
