GERMANY

Germany: Labeling of origin for meat comes into force

The expansion of the origin labeling of meat came into force on February 1, 2024. It is then mandatory at points of sale to indicate where non-prepackaged fresh, chilled or frozen pork, sheep, goat and poultry meat comes from. Previously, the regulation only applied to unpackaged beef and packaged meat.

Posted on Feb 04 ,00:10

Federal Minister Özdemir: "Anyone who shops in the supermarket, at the butcher or at the weekly market can now see at a glance whether the meat comes from Germany or abroad. Customers can therefore consciously choose local products and so we support our German agriculture. 'Made in Germany' not only stands for quality, but also for higher animal welfare and environmental standards compared to many other countries. Our agriculture has been demanding such labeling of origin for many years, and we have now implemented this nationally in record time. The labeling helps farmers - especially with small and medium-sized farms - to be able to compete better in the market. Our job as the federal government is to set the right framework for future-proof animal husbandry. We are doing this undeterred, step by step.

We are now continuing to put pressure on Brussels to ensure that origin labeling is also introduced at the EU level - and ideally also for other products".

Consumers want - and should - know where their food comes from. This is shown, among other things, by the nutrition report from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The question of expanding origin labeling in food labeling law is part of the EU Commission's Farm to Fork strategy. The EU Commission is currently examining whether to extend mandatory indications of origin to other foods. The BMEL fundamentally supports the EU Commission's plans. However, since the EU Commission has not yet submitted a legislative proposal, the BMEL is currently considering expanding the labeling of origin for meat in out-of-home catering.

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