Lebensmittelklarheit.de
The Lebensmittelklarheit.de website is a public information and exchange platform run by the consumer centers , on which consumers have been informed since July 2011, in particular about products in the food industry whose presentation and labeling are deceptive or misleading.
financing
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture promotes the portal as part of the initiative Clarity and Truth in the labeling and presentation of food . Funding totaled 983,000 euros up to December 2012; follow-up funding of 1 million euros is planned for the end of 2014. The project sponsors are the German Consumer Association (vzbv) and the Hessen Consumer Association .
function
Consumers who are deceived or misled by certain foods can use an online form (or, alternatively, directly at a consumer advice center) to disclose suspected deficiencies in product labeling in the portal.
The aim of the website is, in particular, to use this Internet channel to ensure more truth and clarity in the food industry and to establish a targeted, transparent dialogue between end consumers and producers. Consumers should be better informed about food labeling and sensitized to the topic.
There are also consumer surveys and accompanying research evaluates incoming complaints and surveys.
effect
An analysis of consumer reports on Lebensmittelklarheit.de from the end of March 2012 showed that of the 204 product reports received up to that point, most of them concerned the external appearance of the packaging as well as information on ingredients, additives and imitations. About 26% related to the size, positioning or formulation of labeling elements, about 8% information about nature + region . By contrast, there were only individual reports on child / sports nutrition and health .
The portal classified almost 12% of the reported products in the permitted category as not objectionable. Almost all manufacturers (96%) responded to inquiries from the consumer portal, 40% changed their labeling or announced this.
The study comes to the conclusion that the portal motivates manufacturers to give feedback and change product labeling. In addition, the reports would show consumer dissatisfaction with labeling elements that are currently classified as legally permissible. A consumer-oriented adaptation of some specifications is expedient.
criticism
The website was rated as a modern internet pillory by representatives of the food industry and the Federation of the German Food Industry (BVE) .
The German Consumer Association criticized that it was unclear who specifically decides which products are named there. However, a system of accountability and accountability is required if the project is funded with taxpayers' money. In addition, it is not clear why the consumer advice center is not taking legal action against misleading information, although it could.
Web links
- Lebensmittelklarheit.de of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations and Consumer Associations - German Consumer Association. V.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Website: About food clarity, idea and goals , accessed on October 28, 2014.
- ↑ Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Ed.): Initiative “Clarity and Truth in the Labeling and Presentation of Food” - Need for action, goals and measures . January 2014, p. 9-10 ( PDF ).
- ↑ Jeanette Loos, Deborah Braun: The new power of consumers? Influence of consumer portals on packaging design in the food sector . In: Stefan Hoffmann u. a. (Ed.): Applied Health Marketing . 2012, doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-8349-4035-3_13 .
- ↑ DH - The trade. The business magazine for trade management: Lebensmittelklarheit.de is online - but not available. www.derhandel.de, accessed on July 23, 2011 .
- ↑ Konsumentenbund criticizes "pillory portal" of the consumer center ( Memento of the original from July 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed July 30, 2011.
