From the point of view of the food and beverages trade union, a stop to gas deliveries from Russia would lead to major production losses, which would primarily be felt by consumers.
The Food and Beverage Restaurant Union (NGG) has warned against stopping gas supplies from Russia.
“Stopping gas supplies would have massive effects on food production. After the chemical industry, the food industry is the second largest industrial gas consumer in Germany,” said NGG chairman Guido Zeitler to the newspapers of the Funke media group. If sufficient gas is no longer supplied, it can no longer be produced. “We wouldn’t go hungry because of this, but there would be major production losses that consumers in the supermarkets would feel.”
The largest gas consumer in the food industry is the dairy industry, followed by the meat industry. Then came the fat, oil, bread and sugar industries, but also the bakery and meat trades. Works councils have already warned, said Zeitler.
Accordingly, gas is primarily required as process energy in the food industry. “To produce food, a lot of energy is required for drying, boiling or cooking. The same applies to cooling to preserve the food,” said Zeitler.
The Ukraine war has already had a major impact on the industry due to supply bottlenecks and high energy prices. It is important for the food industry to pass on price increases to retailers and consumers. “The large corporations will succeed in this. But many medium-sized companies in the food production sector will not be able to do this,” said Zeitler. “The increased production costs are a threat to their existence, and some will have to close down.”
With a view to the rising prices, the union boss calls for possible further help for low earners. “If food prices continue to rise, the state should consider targeted support for poorer households and Hartz IV recipients.” (dpa)