New judgment in the sausage scandal: Who is to blame for Sieber's bankruptcy?

New judgment in the sausage scandal: Who is to blame for Sieber's bankruptcy?

A scandalous meat scandal currently employs the dishes in Germany: The Sieber Grandmetzerei from Geretsried is held responsible for a large number of listeria infections that even led to several deaths. The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has lifted the judgment of the Munich Higher Regional Court and ordered a procedure for the liability of the Free State of Bavaria for the company's bankruptcy. This reports Merkur .

The origins of this drama go back until May 2016, when the Bavarian Ministry of Consumer Protection was alerted and a public warning about the products of the Sieber butcher shop. During a check, high listeria values were discovered, which led to a recall of all sausages and forced the butcher to bank on. A total of 120 employees lost their job. The insolvency administrator Dr. Josef Hingerl then sued the state and demanded almost eleven million euros in damages because he believed that the ministry should not have included all products in the recall, as well as from BR .

BGH brings clarity into the process

The Higher Regional Court initially partially decided in favor of the insolvency administrator, but the BGH questioned the authorities' obligations: the officials were not obliged to check all products independently. The court opened the requirements for the security authorities and thus cleared the way for a negotiation for the case. The question will be to what extent the ministry is responsible for the bankruptcy of the butcher and whether it was able to distinguish between contaminated and harmless products.

The case not only did legal waves, but also throws a light on the control mechanisms in the food industry. Insolvency administrator Hingerl himself described the judgment of the BGH as a step in the right direction and underlined the importance of the procedure - it is not only about its creditors, but also about the guidelines that must apply in the food industry. The focus is not only on economic aspects, but also the protection of the health of consumers.