Oct. 27, 2010 /EIN Presswire/ – The German government is taking an aggressive new stand against food fraud which has drawn praise from consumer advocates and fierce resistance from the food industry.
The latest development was the announcement by Consumer Affairs Minister Ilse Aigner that the government will launch a web site where people will be able to report fraudulently labeled food products.
The Minister cited specific examples: a yogurt which claimed to contain real fruit but was made with artificial food flavoring, non-cheese products sold as cheese pizzas, schnitzel from dubious sources held together by organic glue.
Advocacy groups hope the decision will reign in fraud and called the action long overdue.
This is the latest move the Consumer Minister has made in an attempt to protect the public along the food supply chain. Last month she announced that health inspectors would begin pasting frowning faces on doors of restaurants where they found mouse droppings, moldy meat or cockroaches.
Industry representatives have challenged the need for more consumer protections. They claim there already are more than enough authorities involved in securing the food supply without the involvement of the Consumer Ministry.
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