2023-07-17 17:06:37
Supermarkets want to offer more meat from better husbandry in their refrigerated shelves. But according to a survey by Greenpeace, there is more stagnation than progress.
Hamburg.
According to Greenpeace, the switch to meat from better animal husbandry is making little progress in the German food trade. “The big grocers are only slowly improving their range of meat,” the environmental protection organization summed up the result of a survey on Monday Opinion poll among the large German supermarket chains and discounters.
According to the survey, the proportion of the two better husbandry forms 3 and 4 has increased from a good 10 to almost 12 percent in retail brands since July 2022. However, almost nine tenths of the supply was still accounted for by husbandry types 1 and 2. Greenpeace reported that the proportion of fresh meat products labeled with the worst husbandry type 1 has even increased slightly again recently from 19 to 21 percent.
Lots of cheap meat in the refrigerated section
“Behind the full-bodied promises of more animal welfare and climate-friendly food in the supermarkets, there is still almost only cheap meat hidden in the refrigerated section,” said Greenpeace agricultural expert Christiane Huxdorff. There is also a “huge labeling gap” at the service counters.
When asked, a Rewe spokesman pointed out that high inflation and tight household budgets are currently having a noticeable impact on customers’ shopping behavior. “This is causing a slight drop in demand for higher levels of husbandry in both the meat and milk/dairy ranges.”
Nevertheless, the company is sticking to its goal of gradually converting the entire fresh meat range of its own brands in Germany for beef, pork and poultry to husbandry levels 3 and 4 by 2030. Due to a lack of raw material availability, the changes within the ranges would sometimes have a longer start-up phase. It is particularly difficult with beef.
Labeling is voluntary
Kaufland pointed out that the company offers pig, chicken, turkey and beef fresh meat products from level 3 husbandry in every Kaufland branch. With a few regional and international exceptions, the company consistently uses meat from level 3 at the meat service counters. Initially, no comments were received from the other retail chains.
By 2024, Lidl wants to offer at least 25 percent of the fresh meat range with husbandry levels 3 and 4 and by 2026 at least 33 percent in these levels.
The husbandry system is a voluntary labeling system that a large part of the German food retail trade has been using for own-brand fresh meat products since 2019. The four levels – 1: stable housing, 2: stable housing plus, 3: outdoor climate and 4: premium – show consumers the level of animal welfare in housing. (dpa)
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