Success for consumer portal Food Clarity

After only 100 days, 3,800 products reported on Lebensmittelklarheit.de

30/10/2011

The teething problems immediately after launching the online consumer portal „Lebensmittelklarheit.de“ seem to be overcome. The balance of the first 100 days is quite positive.

On 20 July, the project is launched by the Association of Consumer Organizations and the Consumer Center Hessen, in which consumers can report food that they feel misled by their presentation or labeling. After the first 100 days of the portal, over 3,800 products are already registered on Lebensmittelklarheit.de. The Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Ilse Aigner (CSU), underlined in a recent press release the overwhelming response that the portal has encountered among consumers.

Report mislabeling of food
On Thursday, the portal Lebensmittelklarheit.de was online for exactly 100 days and as with any newly elected federal government, this is also the time for a first balance sheet. At first, critics still seemed in the majority in the face of the massive server issues that emerged after the launch of the consumer portal. Now, apparently, the tide has turned. More and more consumers took advantage „Lebensmittelklarheit.de“ active to report food products that have mislabeling or presentation. Subsequently, the cases will be examined by the consumer advocates and a statement from the manufacturer for which it has seven days. The results are available for all consumers to read on the online portal. More than 38 reports per day have been recorded since the launch of Lebensmittelklarheit.de, which, according to Federal Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner, proves the success of the project. Consumer complaints are also heard by most manufacturers, emphasized the Minister. Some companies have already changed their product presentation and labeling as an immediate reaction to the notification.

Lebensmittelklarheit.de: false start or success?
In the Federal Government, however, the verdict on the success of the new online consumer portal is quite different. Some FDP politicians classify the previous development, contrary to the assessment of the Federal Consumer Protection Minister as a clear false start. „We have been skeptical from the start whether it is right to name products“, FDP expert Christel Happach-Kazan told the news agency „DAPD“. According to the FDP politician confirmed the balance of the first 100 days and the „Practice of the portal that the product is not a happy solution.“ Here companies would be publicly pilloried. The operators of the portal must therefore examine more thoroughly whether there is actually a misleading labeling before the food information is published, demanded Happach-Kazan. While the demand for a thorough review seems perfectly justified, the question arises as to why companies that verifiably mislead consumers with their product packaging should not be publicly named. Product naming seems to be in the consumer's interest. However, in order to protect companies against potential damage through unjustified criticism, consumer advocates must be particularly careful with the reports. (Fp)

Image: Gabi Schoenemann