Romanians began to buy lower quality products due to rising prices. Why is this happening? The answer is provided by Corina Zugravu, chief physician of the National Institute of Public Health (INSP).

“The main factor in the purchase of products is the price. This is not a mystery, and it is not only happening in Romania. You buy what is cheaper. In general, when you save, you save on food. This is known. This is the easiest place to cut. Other expenses for the house are less,” Zugravu said.

Citing research from Edenred, she said the future looks bleak because of high prices and these discounts on healthy food will have health consequences.

“We’re going to see a lot of that. I’m more of a pessimist. Let’s see if the future will confirm that our diets are becoming more and more modest, despite our efforts to eat healthier,” she said.

She said she saw lower food prices in Vienna than in Romania.

“Our prices have increased tremendously. There isn’t. I don’t know how it is done, because they are also only in the EU. Otherwise, the culinary landscape is absolutely extraordinary. As a vegetarian, I have seen an explosion in restaurants offering us this type of food. There is an explosion of products in supermarkets, and no one was worried that we will be forced to stop eating meat, that we will eat crickets, that this has become a mantra in our time,” Korina Zugravu also noted.

We remind you that the Central Insolvency Commission has established general criteria for a reasonable standard of living, as a result of which the minimum consumer basket for a family of 2 adults and 2 children is 3,258 lei/month in an urban environment.

“I saw the daily baskets needed by a family of 4 in Romania. Some of them are really funny, to be honest. I don’t know how those who counted them think that someone can handle this money,” she said.

According to Edenred’s research, presented by Ana Busuyok, director of legal affairs and public relations, 8 out of 10 workers believe that their food choices have been influenced not only by rising food prices, but also by rising energy prices.

“What does it mean? This means people are choosing to buy cheaper food, which can mean lower nutritional value,” she said.

8 out of 10 workers say that the value of the meal vouchers they receive from their employer is not enough for the whole month. Expires before the end of the month. Worldwide, 6 out of 10 employees face the same problem. More than 9 out of 10 workers use meal vouchers to buy food and prepare lunch at home because they don’t think the value of the vouchers is enough to regularly go to a restaurant and buy lunch.

In Romania, the survey was conducted on a sample of 2,436 employees.

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