The Bundestag wants to decide on a labeling requirement for domestic meat products. A new logo is intended to provide information about animal husbandry. It initially only applies to pigs.
It should soon be worth taking a closer look at schnitzels and steaks in the supermarket. It’s about a new black and white logo on the packaging. After years of tugging, the Bundestag wants to pass a state label that shows the conditions in animal husbandry when buying meat.
Before the end of this year, Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) intends to place the mandatory display in refrigerated counters, which is initially to start with fresh pork. The Parliament should also seal relief for farmers if they want to convert stables for better husbandry.
Green party leader Britta Haßelmann spoke of a step that was overdue with regard to the labeling. “Consumers want to know what they are eating,” she told the dpa news agency. The necessary transparency is now being created.
Mandatory labeling for domestic products
Although egg labeling has been a successful model for almost 20 years, previous governments have not made any progress on meat labeling. “Back then, everyone in the supermarket could see how chickens were kept.” The proportion of unprocessed eggs from cage farming has thus been greatly reduced.
A system with five categories is planned when piglets are fed after rearing. It begins with the “stable” type of housing with the minimum legal requirements. Among other things, the “Barn+Space” level specifies 12.5 percent more space, the “Fresh Air Barn” level provides contact with the outside climate, for example with open barn sides. In addition, there are the levels “outdoor/pasture” and “organic”. It is about mandatory labeling of domestic products of all types of husbandry.
Özdemir’s predecessor Julia Klöckner (CDU) had followed another approach: a voluntary label, but only for a better attitude above the minimum standard. But that failed.
The ministry envisages a black and white, slightly rounded rectangle as a uniform logo.
New logo indicates the form of husbandry
The labeling should look objective and sober: a white, slightly rounded rectangle in which “animal husbandry” is written in a black frame. A smaller rectangle filled with black should then show the husbandry form – with five small rectangles for the five categories.
In the case of mixed products such as minced meat or large packs of meat from different types of husbandry, percentages can also appear in the small rectangles: for example “70 percent stable” and “30 percent stable+space”. If one form of husbandry dominates with at least 80 percent, only this can be marked on the imprint.
The supermarket chains’ own labeling will remain in place.
Old logos will probably remain
In the refrigerated counters, the future state logo meets established competition. Since 2019 there has been a widespread labeling of the supermarket chains with the imprint “Haltungform”. Many customers are now familiar with the system, which is likely to remain in place for a long time to come – especially since it already includes products from poultry and cattle in addition to meat from pigs.
Özdemir justified the gradual introduction in order to make the logo come true after earlier failed attempts – but it should continue quickly. According to the will of the coalition partners, an expansion to processed goods such as sausage and gastronomy is to be tackled before the end of this year – as well as breeding boars, sows and piglets.
After that, other animal species are to follow in this electoral period until 2025. A more extensive labeling based on the country of origin is also under consideration.
By 2025, the labeling requirement is to be extended to other animals such as cattle.
A billion euros start-up financing from the federal government
The logo is intended to support the change to higher forms of husbandry through the possibility of targeted purchases. At the cost and expense of doing this, however, the farmers should not be left to their own devices. The traffic light coalition initially reserved one billion euros as start-up financing. But that’s only enough for the first few years and for pigs.
A fundamentally reliable financial solution for other animal species will continue to be sought for the time being. According to expert recommendations, an “animal welfare tax” on animal products is under discussion. A surcharge of 40 cents per kilogram of meat would be conceivable.
In addition to labelling, other elements are to be used to change animal husbandry towards higher standards. The Bundestag therefore also wants to make simplifications in the building law for stables. In essence, they should be possible if systems for the three upper housing types “fresh air stable”, “outdoor/pasture” and “organic” are redesigned. In order to offer each animal more space, farmers should be able to build larger, as long as the maximum number of animals remains the same.