From Friday, the mandatory designation of origin will apply in all public and private canteen kitchens. The menus must then clearly indicate the origin of certain foods. There is also no obligation for the labeling of foodstuffs in the catering industry.
From now on, all company canteens, but also health and educational institutions must indicate where certain dishes come from.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the origin of meat (beef, pork, poultry, sheep, goats and game), milk and dairy products (including butter, cheese and cottage cheese) and eggs must be declared in the future.
Signage in a transparent form, such as a notice or an indication on the menu, is mandatory. This must be checked by the respective food control authorities in the states, and according to the ministry, multiple violations carry an administrative fine.
Only ten percent of the poultry meat comes from Austria
As the Association for Sustainable Livestock Farming Austria (NTÖ) calculates, more than 70 to 80 percent of the fresh pork used in collective catering currently comes from Austria. The value for beef is over 80 percent, for poultry only ten percent. In the case of eggs, at least 70 percent is used from Austrian production.
Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) expects the implementation to provide more transparency for the performance of local farmers. The label enables a conscious choice to buy Austrian food, said Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens).
Reject gastronomy
There will still be no mandatory designation of origin in taverns in the near future. Although a chicken meat scandal recently sparked debate, restaurateurs point to the extra bureaucratic effort. What already applies: Catering establishments that voluntarily advertise with information about the origin of their products must be able to demonstrate that their information is actually correct.
Source: Krone
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