food
Push for more origin labels for food
Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir wants to make the origin of food more transparent. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In the supermarket, many are interested in where potatoes, cucumbers or chicken schnitzel actually come from – so you can also buy regionally. But that could still be on more packs.
Germany and Austria are putting pressure on the expansion of mandatory origin labels for food on the European market.
Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) told the dpa: “Consumers want to know where their food comes from, and they also have a right to it.” Everyone benefits when the particular origin is advertised in the supermarket brochure. “The labeling of origin also makes transport routes visible and is therefore a building block for climate-friendly consumption.”
EU agricultural meeting on Monday
According to the ministry, Özdemir and his Austrian counterpart Elisabeth Köstinger want to present a joint initiative during consultations with the EU agriculture ministers this Monday. It aims to ensure “fair income for farmers”. To this end, the EU Commission is asked, among other things, to quickly submit a proposal for a more comprehensive labeling of origin.
Köstinger said that the labeling of origin is “an absolutely necessary tool to increase the added value of our farmers”. The next step is to gain allies for it. Therefore, a “fairness alliance” was founded with Germany.
The labeling of origin is part of the EU Commission’s strategy for more sustainable agriculture (“Farm to Fork”/”From Farm to Plate”), as explained. According to this, an extension of the mandatory indication of origin to products such as milk and milk as an ingredient, meat as an ingredient, rice or tomatoes in certain tomato products is to be examined.
The country of origin is already mandatory for many foods. This includes fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs and fresh beef – based on birth, fattening, slaughter and cutting, as stated on the “Food Clarity” portal of the consumer centers. In the case of fish, the catch area and, in the case of farmed fish, the country in which it had its last phase of development must be specified. In the case of fresh, chilled and frozen meat from pigs, sheep, goats and poultry – in the case of packaged goods – the country of rearing and slaughter must be indicated.
Özdemir: Make origin more transparent
Özdemir said: “We want to make the origin of food more transparent in European solidarity. The best way to do this is with EU-wide uniform rules.” It must also pay off for farmers in the long term if they specifically serve customer requests for a specific origin of food. In the coalition agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, it is agreed that, in addition to mandatory animal husbandry labeling, “comprehensive labeling of origin” should also be introduced.
In addition to the mandatory markings, there are a number of voluntary logos on packaging. Medals and labels are often intended to vouch for a particular regionality. The federal states advertise with seals, and some retail chains also have their own regional brands. However, the criteria as to what that means in relation to the ingredients are different. In addition, there is the “protected designation of origin” in the EU, for example for Allgäu Emmental and the “protected geographical indication” for Lübeck marzipan.
There is also a nationwide uniform logo: the blue “regional window” introduced in 2014, which manufacturers can voluntarily print on packs. There are now more than 5,400 products, as the sponsoring association announced in December. The «regional window» shows where the most important ingredients come from and where they were processed. The region must be smaller than Germany. A federal state, a district or information such as “from the Eifel” are possible. The first main ingredient must come 100 percent from the region – just like the “value-added ingredients”, such as cherries in cherry yoghurt.