It has been proven that only about a third of bread and pastries in supermarkets are made from local grain. “The results are frightening,” said Georg Strasser, president of the Farmers’ Union, who had the ingredients verified in a regional check on 250 baked goods from the self-service and bread boards.
Result: Transparency is often a foreign word. Labels in supermarkets are often misleading. So “pastry from Austria” often simply means that the grain has been ground by us, even if it comes from abroad. “Wiener Kaisersemmel” sometimes simply means that the recipe comes from Vienna.
Strasser is now also in favor of the AMA quality mark for bread and pastries: “The regionality check has shown that a lot of action still needs to be taken. That is why we advocate that the AMA quality mark be extended to bread and pastries across the board.” The quality seal guarantees Austrian origin and offers certainty when purchasing.
However, according to the environmental protection organization Global 2000, the demand for regionality does not go far enough. It is also important how environmentally friendly the grain is grown and whether chemical pesticides are used, for example. Global 2000 agriculture spokeswoman Brigitte Reisenberger called for a fundamental overhaul of the label towards environmental protection.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
