Özdemir Advocates for Compulsory Labeling of Food Origins throughout the EU
Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir believes that in the future, food packaging throughout the EU should display mandatory information about where the food originated. He made this statement at a meeting with his EU counterparts, stressing the importance of this knowledge for consumers to make educated purchasing decisions. He urged the EU Commission to propose a regulation for this purpose.
Özdemir emphasized that consumers are interested in knowing where their food is from, but added that farmers also need this label. German businesses could benefit from this due to consumer preference for regional products. He wants to see this label "everywhere."
Presently, more comprehensive origin labels are required for fresh products like fruit or eggs, in addition to packaged meat such as what you'd find at a butcher or market in Germany.
Manufacturers must disclose the origin of ingredients if the packaging suggests something misleading - for instance, on a can of tomato sauce that features Italian flags, if the tomatoes are from a different country. In most cases, however, no specific indications are required for products from the EU.
For several years, the EU Commission has been contemplating extending labeling requirements, such as for milk or processed tomatoes, but has not yet proposed any changes. Özdemir criticized the Commission for failing to implement a EU-wide labeling obligation, stating, "If Brussels doesn't decide, my hands are tied in Germany."
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In alignment with Özdemir's advocacy, a proposed EU-wide regulation could mandate the display of food origins on all packaging, aiding informed consumer choices. Furthermore, with the potential implementation of this labeling system, European farmers and businesses may gain increased recognition based on their region's reputation for quality produce.
Source: www.ntv.de
