Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, June 16, 2023
BERLIN – Germany will soon introduce new labels on meat packages that tell consumers how animals were raised and kept after the country’s parliament approved legislation on Friday.
Black-and-white logos will use several broad categories to inform shoppers the conditions that animals were raised in, including how much space animals were allowed and if animals were given access to the outdoors.
Backers of the scheme, including German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, hope it will help drive supermarket choices and encourage farmers to raise animals under more humane conditions.
Özdemir said he plans to roll out the first labels later this year, beginning with fresh pork and then expand the scheme to take in other meat products. The logo could be introduced voluntarily on some pork products this year before becoming binding in 2024.
Özdemir said each package should state step by step how the animal was kept. He anticipated that farmers that opt for better conditions would be rewarded with higher prices.
More extensive labelling based on the country of origin is also under consideration.
