“Pure fantasy”: Is this Bavarian cheese Germany's worst customer deception?

Every now and then advertising leads astray, that is a well-known fact.

In an online vote, however, a large Bavarian cheese manufacturer has now won a negative price.

Heimenkirch / Berlin - That was probably really cheese: The consumer organization Foodwatch is awarding its “golden windbag” prize this year to a

.

For consumers, the

 the

among five nominees in the online vote

, as

on Tuesday.

Manufacturer Hochland did not accept the negative price and again rejected the criticism of its product.

In the past few years, foods intended for children had often "won" the award: Among other things, an organic tomato sauce from the eco-brand Zwergenwiese and a "baby biscuit" from the manufacturer Alete.

got its fat off in 2018 - for a "Smartwater".

Cheese from Bavaria "wins" negative price from Foodwatch: Hochland because of advertising in criticism

The

advocates nominated the cheese this year because Hochland advertised "milk from free range cows" on the packaging, with the animals moving around in the barn.

“'Free range cows' is a

” criticized Foodwatch.

"Hochland leads its customers into a pasture idyll and deceives those consumers of all people who consciously choose products from which they expect better animal husbandry."

Hochland refused a conversation today and did not want to accept the golden #windbag.

Weak!

We would have liked to discuss the brazen animal husbandry deception with the "Grünländer" cheese.

https://t.co/hFSFSBtMkC pic.twitter.com/qloaQJg3lJ

- foodwatch Germany (@foodwatch_de) September 8, 2020

"For our brand we only use milk from cows that can move freely around the barn at any time and are not tied up," explained Hochland.

The company rejected the criticism on Tuesday as "not appropriate" and did not accept the inglorious award.

According to Foodwatch, the

(Lindau district) was locked during the planned handover and “the group management was not available for a discussion”.

Cheese manufacturer Hochland outraged after minus price: Transparent information?

Customers obviously see it differently

Already after the

, Hochland had declared that the back of the packaging would clearly indicate “that the term 'free range cows' refers to cows kept in the barn”.

Nothing else is suggested on any advertising material.

"In our TV commercial, too, we clearly show the cows in a closed barn."

For many of the 65,000 consumers who voted online for the golden cream puff, that was apparently not enough: According to the consumer advocates, almost 44 percent chose Grünländer cheese.

A

received around 18 percent of the vote, followed by a

(14 percent), a

(13 percent) and a

(12 percent).

According to

"tea" from Volvic contains

around

.

At Arlas Weidemilch, the organization saw customers being duped with an invented CO2 label: This promises

, but only relates to the

.

Mars, on the other hand, promised a “plant-based protein kick” with its product, even though the

.

Zentis' fruit spread actually contains, as advertised, “50 percent less sugar” - but this content has

.

Foodwatch awards "golden cream puffs" for deceiving customers - and makes demands on the Bavarian authorities

The Arla product was nominated by Foodwatch itself, the other four candidates were based on submissions from consumers.

The organization awarded the negative award for the tenth time.

Foodwatch called on the

in

on Tuesday to "prohibit the misleading marketing of grassland".

The organization set a

and threatened the authorities with a

.

“The food law prohibits deception, the authorities are obliged to intervene,” emphasized the consumer advocates.

Last week, because of “continued deception” of consumers, they called for advertising to be stopped for three

products nominated

for the

prize: In addition to Hochland, the companies Arla and Danone were affected.

They "advertise perfectly normal products as particularly climate-friendly, animal-friendly or high-quality - that is illegal," criticized Manuel Wiemann from Foodwatch.

After all, all of the products mentioned were edible and drinkable.

A cheese from the Netherlands sold in Germany has now been recalled to the shops.

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