Graz: Greens demand transparency in the catering trade for the origin of food

Graz: Greens demand transparency in the catering trade for the origin of food

In Austrian gastronomy, it is often difficult to understand where the ingredients for the dishes offered come from. The Graz Greens now want to change this uncertainty through a petition to the federal government and calls for a comprehensive identification of origin.

Christian Kozina-Voit, the municipal council and food spokesman for the Graz Greens, emphasizes that the lack of identification in particular disadvantage domestic farmers. "Our farmers produce high -quality foods and have to assert themselves against cheap imported goods," he explains. This Situation forces local producers to offer their products at dumping prices, which is unsustainable in the long run.

demands for fairer competitive conditions

In order to counteract the unequal competitive conditions, according to Kozina-Voit, it is crucial that legislators create clear requirements. "While in the supermarket it is already clearly marked where the food comes from, this is not the case with many restaurants," he notes. For a year now, the origin of meat, milk and eggs has been mandatory in large kitchens and canteens.

The Graz Greens therefore call for a simple and clear regulation. "Such a solution should be implementable with minimal bureaucratic effort," adds Kozina-Voit. An example of a helpful labeling would be "origin: unknown", the origin should not be determined, which is still valuable for consumers.

The petition will be presented in the local council on Thursday and aims to oblige gastronomy business to designate the origin and keeping conditions of meat, milk and eggs. Graz could act as a pioneer, for example through a pilot project with selected gastronomies or through an award for companies that are particularly transparent in their menu. Further information could be found in the upcoming political discussions, which also on www.meinbezirk.at can be followed.