Labeling of origin on fresh meat
Last week, the federal government approved the regulation on the labeling of origin of food presented by the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir. With the new regulation, the indication of the origin of fresh, chilled and frozen meat from pigs, sheep, goats and poultry also extended to non-prepackaged meat. This was previously only required for packaged meat. Labeling of origin is already mandatory for unpackaged beef.
Federal Minister Cem Özdemir explains: "Anyone who buys from the deli counter will in future be required to be informed where the meat comes from. This is good news for our agriculture and consumers, because they should not only know how an animal was kept, but also where it comes from. This is the only way people can make an informed purchasing decision and actively decide in favor of more animal welfare, regional added value and high environmental standards. In addition to the introduction of mandatory animal husbandry labeling by the state, I therefore want to comprehensively expand the labeling of origin for food. The current regulation is only a first step. Unfortunately, theEU-Commission, contrary to what it announced, still has no proposal for aEU-wide, comprehensive labeling of origin submitted. That is why we will now work out a regulation for Germany. Other member states have already made national regulations. Our farmers - especially with small and medium-sized farms - need the opportunity to survive in the market. In my opinion, 'Made in Germany' stands for a high level of animal welfare, fair wages and the protection of our natural resources."
The regulations stipulate that the meat offered is always marked with the country of rearing and the country of slaughter of the animal (e.g. "Raised in: France, slaughtered in: Germany"). Are the birth, rearing and slaughter of the animals demonstrably all in one?EU-Member State or third country, the indication "origin" may be used (example: "origin: Germany"). The draft regulation should be adopted this summer and come into force at the beginning of 2024.
