Traditional Romanian food gets boost from EU

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Traditional foods enjoyed by generations of Romanians — including Transylvanian cheese, plum jam and succulent salami, a favorite of the son of late Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu — are getting an unexpected boost thanks to the European Union.

The first Romanian product to earn the coveted EU benefit was magiun of Topoloveni, a slow-cooked plum jam with no added sugar, which has been served to Romania's troops on NATO bases since 2009 instead of sugary conserves.

More often, Romanians get news of food controllers dishing out fines for expired meat and other fresh foods sold in markets and supermarkets, or salami that is found to contain soya, colorants and flour.