The paediatricians have just had their say: they are calling for a ban on advertising foods that are aimed specifically at children. These too often promoted obesity and contained too much sugar. Companies have made it difficult for consumers to live healthily, the consumer organization Foodwatch also criticizes. The companies led consumers partly astray. To make the trite cases transparent, Foodwatch awards the "Golden Puff" award each year - consumers can vote for the winner.
"Fitness fraud", "pseudo-science", "hidden price increases" denounces Foodwatch at several companies. They found products to be particularly healthy, even though they contained a lot of sugar or low-quality ingredients. The problem of sugary and fatty food is becoming increasingly serious: According to the Federal Statistical Office, 62 percent of men in Germany are too fat, almost half of women and 15 percent of children and adolescents. And the blame is also on food manufacturers.
Five products that consumers have been particularly outrageous in their view have been nominated by Foodwatch. Even true money-makers among manufacturers who skillfully camouflage price increases spearhead the organization with their choices, as do products with less valuable ingredients than it seems. Until December 1, consumers can vote under www.goldener-windbeutel.de, which candidate deserves the low price. If this time, the winner also accepts the prize, he would be awarded at the company headquarters.
Nominated for the negative award this year for the ninth time are: the organic carrot juice from Hipp, the "Wasabi peanuts" from Rewe, the "Corny Protein Lower Carb" chocolate bars from Schwartau, the drink "Yakult" and the Children's tomato sauce from organic producer Zwergenwiese. Foodwatch has selected the products from around 200 products that consumers have reported on the complaints platform www.schummelmelder.de over the past 12 months. Hidden price increases, allegedly "natural" foods full of additives or allegedly "healthy" sugar bombs were received there, according to Foodwatch.
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Schmähpreis: The top candidates for the "Windbeutel"The large number of consumer complaints show that the problem of quite legal label fraud is still far from being solved, criticizes the organization. Misleading advertising claims are the rule in the supermarket and not the exception, although the EU prohibits consumer deception. But this prohibition of deception is not concrete enough and leave the food industry too much scope. Thus, customers would be duped without the companies violate the applicable labeling rules.
The federal government admittedly acknowledged the problem in 2011. However, the initiative "Clarity and Truth" that was launched did not lead to better laws and comprehensive protection. "The food industry can continue to use its tricks and deceptive meshes - and thereby profit at the expense of consumers," criticized Foodwatch.
Most recently, the discussion was about a clearer labeling of food for Zündstoff. It has long been debated between consumer organizations, politics and companies, which system should show how much sugar or fat products contain. The industry tried for a long time to enforce a confusing format. Now, the nutritional labeling Nutri-Score should come, as Julia Klöckner (CDU), Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, has recently set. But labeling remains voluntary for companies.
