Comparative analysis of consumer food complaints and returns regulations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5219/scifood.85Keywords:
food law, consumer protection, complaint, food return, Directive 2011/83/EU, Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002, de lege ferendaAbstract
The article aims to analyze the legal regulation of food complaints and returns from the perspective of European Union law and the legal systems of selected Central European countries (the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, and Hungary). Special attention is paid to the relationship between consumer law, food law, and food safety rules, especially for perishable and hygienically sensitive foods. The article emphasizes that although Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights harmonizes the general 14-day right of withdrawal for distance contracts, foods often fall under the exceptions under Article. 16 letters d) and e), which, however, do not limit the consumer's rights from liability for defects and from general food law. The core of the work is a comparative analysis of the legal regulation in five countries, supplemented by a synthetic table. Based on the findings, specific de lege ferenda measures are proposed for Slovak legislation, in particular the introduction of a special food complaint regime in Act No. 108/2024 Coll., an explicit link between the recall of a batch and the individual consumer's right to a refund, as well as a clearer link between misleading food labeling and the right to a complaint and a refund of the purchase price
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