Thilo Bode criticizes the shopping jungle supermarket.
In his opinion, consumers are often duped with misleading terms.
Munich - Thilo Bode is known.
As managing director of the consumer protection organization Foodwatch, the man repeatedly criticized the food industry.
In the meantime, the consumer advocate has withdrawn from the organization and is writing books.
In his new work, he complains that customers in the supermarket can no longer tell what kind of quality they are buying.
In an interview with Stern
magazine, Bode says no one can find their way around anymore
.
Olive oil is an example of this, although EU law should actually protect consumers.
The basic problem is not “that we are constantly breaking the law, but that manufacturers and retailers follow laws that clearly do not serve the interests of consumers.
With us, the customer is not king, but victim.” Practically all oils – from 3.50 euros to 29.80 euros – are now labeled as “extra virgin”.
Even if they are adulterated with other cheap oils.
According to Bode, this is mainly due to the “jungle of designations”.
He has therefore been calling for a review of European food law for a long time.
If 99 percent of the honey in the jar comes from China and one percent from the EU, this labeling is also in order before the law.
Thilo Bode on the indication of origin "from EU countries"
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Thilo Bode (l.) – a man of open words.
In his new book he criticizes the industry again.
(assembly, symbolic picture)
© Jürgen Heinrich/Imago, Rolf Poss/Imago
About Thilo Bode
Thilo Bode
(76) is an author and expert on consumer issues.
After serving on the board of the environmental organization Greenpeace for many years, he founded the consumer rights organization Foodwatch in 2002, which he led for 20 years.
His non-fiction books “The Dictatorship of Corporations” (2021), “The Food Counterfeiters” (2010) and “Fed Off” (2007) were published by S. Fischer Verlag.
In his new book "The Supermarket Compass - informed shopping about what we eat", he primarily criticizes the fact that consumers are constantly being misled when it comes to food.
Food expert Bode is sharply critical: the designation jungle and seal are misleading
Things are not looking much better for consumers in the case of fresh strawberries.
Even if you can still find out the variety and the growing area on the product - the consumer does not learn anything about the working conditions in the fields, according to Bode's accusation of the food industry.
This is no different with organic products.
The expert also criticizes the organic seal.
Because the seal does not protect against the fact that food is transported by plane or that the last drinking water resources are exploited for fruit and vegetables from dry regions.
The consumer is therefore constantly being fooled when shopping.
This also applies to buying meat in the supermarket.
According to Bode, there is not even a European animal welfare law.
No consumer can therefore understand whether the meat he buys in the supermarket comes from a healthy animal or from a sick one.
Also useless according to the expert: the Nutri-Score traffic light on food.
The labeling is “not binding” for manufacturers.
Bode's tip: Consumers should no longer put up with deceptions when shopping and complain.
Most consumers are reluctant to remember the horsemeat scandal of 2013.
However, if consumers cannot distinguish between the quality of products, they should best buy the cheapest from the discounter, advises Bode to customers.
What were the strawberries from Morocco sprayed with?
Was the organic pig healthy?
Is this additive harmful to health?
Thilo Bode advises consumers to defend themselves against deception when shopping by asking questions.
Food scandals in Germany
Food scandals in Germany
Consumer advocates repeatedly criticize the deliberate deception in retail, which consumers cannot see at first glance.
This also includes the deceptive packages that are now flooding the market.
List of rubrics: © Jürgen Heinrich/Imago, Rolf Poss/Imago