The industry association, on the basis of which the origin labelling is being introduced, is helping to secure the future of the German agriculture and food industry. The new label, which will appear in stores from 2024, may only be used on meat, eggs, milk, fruit and vegetables that have been produced entirely in Germany, for example. It goes well beyond legal requirements and can also be extended to processed foods and catering in the future.
Friedrich-Otto Ripke, President of the ZDG and board member of the ZHKL, explains: "The German agriculture and food industry and the retail sector are not waiting for the federal government to finally manage to fulfil consumers' clear desire for labelling of German origin. We have taken action and created a standardised voluntary origin labelling scheme that, like the Animal Welfare Initiative, is supported by the economy. We are delighted that our partners in the food trade are supporting and co-financing this important step. German poultry meat and eggs are very popular on the market. Today, we are creating the basis for the demand for them to continue to grow."
The ZDG points out that poultry meat and eggs from Germany are already produced to animal welfare standards that are significantly higher than those in the EU and non-EU countries. As recently as March 2023, a survey of the European population (Eurobarometer) revealed that 82% of EU citizens want food imports from other countries to either meet the same animal welfare standards as we do or at least be labelled.
With the new label, they now have the opportunity to clearly identify particularly high-quality domestic products, similar to a positive list.
In addition to strengthening local foods on the market, the ZHKL has another important task: "It makes a decisive contribution to strengthening mutual trust between producers and retailers. As an organised discussion platform, it ensures a regular exchange between the food retail trade and marketers and producers - this exchange in particular is becoming increasingly important for us," emphasises Stefan Teepker, ZDG board member and member of the ZHKL steering committee.
ZDG press release
