Sausage Showdown: Is That Package Part of Your Product?, An Uncensored Guide
- Penned by The Infamous Scribe
- ~ - 3 Mins of Lively Reading
Controversy Regarding Casings: Was Remuneration for Packaging Provided Twice? - Inquiring about payment for the packaging costs?
Tuesday saw the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig tackling a feisty issue regarding liver sausage: does the skin and clasp belong to the product or the packaging? If it's part of the product, you shell out, but if it's packaging, forget it!
The 1976 EU regulation initially declared the skin and clips as belonging to the product. However, the weighing office responsible for the Warendorf district challenged this, invoking a new food regulations enacted in 2014. This regulation outlawed selling a liver sausage when the skin and clips were included in the product weight. The package indicated 130 grams of liver sausage, but it weighed less than 128 grams due to the clip and skin's weight.
A prolonged legal dispute ensued. The Administrative Court sided with the weighing office, the Higher Administrative Court with the manufacturer. On Tuesday, the highest court in the matter, the Federal Administrative Court, weighed in. The ruling? The edible parts should match the declared weight, and non-edible skins and clips don't count.
The Packaging Rule: As Old as Dishonest Trade Students
Consumers probably won't mind paying the skin's dues. Most may not even be aware of the regulations in the food industry. In recent decades, discussions about "the Tara"—trading jargon for "packaging weight"—have been pretty quiet. Essentially, only the product needs to be paid for, not the packaging.
The principle of paying for the product alone might as well be as old as trade itself. Tara comes from the Arabic "taraha," meaning "remove," which entered the German language via Italian in the 14th century.
Tara Fraud: Old Tricks Return
Years ago, there were plenty of complaints to consumer centers because the packaging was often weighed in on the weekly market. Unfortunate consumers were forced to pay more for high-quality items like Parma ham or North Sea crabs. In the age of supermarkets, these issues subsided, with manufactures complying with regulations, and complaints declining.
But with thegrowing consciousness towards environmental issues, shoppers are bringing their reusable containers. Supermarkets are also offering reusable fruit and veggie nets. The confusion at the checkout seems to have increased, with staff struggling to tackle the multitude of different bags, pouches, and nets. In more than half of the test purchases by the Consumer Center Baden-Württemberg, test customers were overcharged.
Reusable bags are weighing us down, too! A cotton net bought from the store weighed an impressive 56 grams. Deducting the usual 2 grams of Tara for plastic bags can add up when you're dealing with expensive organic fruit. It's tricky for customers to keep track, as most stores don't indicate the Tara on the receipts.
A Fresh Look at the Packaging Rule
The Federal Association of the German Food Trade (BVLH) claims no issues with the tare regulations. "We adhere strictly to the legal regulations," says association lawyer Axel Haentjes. "If it's not clear if a package weighs two or four grams, we'll just subtract four grams from the weight."
So, what's a consumer to do? Be vigilant while shopping—ensure the tare button is pressed while weighing at the checkout. The display often indicates this. If you can't find the correct tare weight at the self-checkout, weigh without a bag. Remember, only the product needs to be paid for, not the packaging.
And this goes for liver sausage too—as of today.
Sources: Federal Administrative Court, Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia, BVLH, Consumer Center Hamburg, Consumer Center Baden-Württemberg, with dpa
- Packaging
- Food
- Sausage
- Despite the Federal Administrative Court ruling that only edible parts should match the declared product weight for liver sausage, non-edible skins and clips are still included in the packaging.
- The growing trend of using reusable containers and bags for food shopping has led to confusion at checkouts, with customers often being overcharged due to the confusion over the tare (packaging) weight.
- The Federal Association of the German Food Trade (BVLH) asserts that they strictly adhere to tare regulations, but consumers should still be vigilant while shopping to ensure the tare button is pressed at the checkout and only the product is paid for, not the packaging.
- With the increasing awareness of environmental issues, consumers are adopting a lifestyle that includes home-and-garden practices like using reusable containers for food storage and shopping, but it's important to keep track of the tare weight to avoid being overcharged.
