Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
As reported by the Federal Statistical Office, German breweries and beer warehouses sold 2003 million hectoliters (hl) of beer in 105,5, which was 2,3 million hl or 2,1% less than in the previous year. The figures do not include sales of non-alcoholic beers and malt beverages or beer imported from countries outside the European Union.
Beer mixes - beer mixed with lemonade, cola, fruit juices and other non-alcoholic additives - accounted for 2,7 million hl or 2,6% of total beer sales in the reporting year, which is a drop of 6,2% compared to the previous year.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
The prize, endowed with a total of 50.000 euros, is being awarded for the fourth time this year. It is aimed at craft companies that are already successfully using the Internet, but also at the chambers of crafts, trade associations, guilds and district craftsmen's associations, which offer Internet service applications for craft businesses.
We are looking for examples of Internet applications in the trade with which the following three company areas can be designed more efficiently:
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
Stew - a healthy alternative
Consumers see canned stew as the healthiest option compared to other convenience foods. This is the result of a study commissioned by Campbell's Germany and conducted by a leading market research institute. The representative study includes household consumers between 18 and 70 years of age.
The subject of the study are nine ready meal categories. From canned stew to frozen ready meals and fast food. The question to consumers was: "Which ready meals do you attribute the property 'healthy' to?". The result: the stew in a can takes the top spot. Ready-to-eat spaghetti followed at a clear distance, with only 75 percent of household consumers ascribed the property “healthy” to stew. The other places include frozen pizza (33 percent) and fast food (8 percent) in last place.
On closer inspection, it is not surprising that there is a lot of goodness in a stew: After all, it combines a large number of ingredients, some of which are freshly harvested, to create a balanced meal. Modern production processes ensure that the content is protected as much as possible. Canned stews make a varied and tasty contribution to a balanced diet.
An example: The consumption of one portion of green beans pot covers the entire daily requirement of vitamin A and vitamin B1*. The minerals calcium, magnesium and iron are also more than sufficiently represented.
Particularly positive: Despite the high content of "fitness makers", a stew does not have an excessive impact on the energy account. With only 200 kcal per portion, the green bean pot is a real lightweight. Thanks to the full load of vegetables and potatoes as well as lean beef, stomach growling is prevented perfectly.
* 1 serving = 400g. The reference values for nutrient intake from the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) serve as the basis.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
Messer Griesheim, a leading manufacturer of industrial and specialty gases, announced today that it has signed an agreement with L'Air Liquide SA ("Air Liquide") to sell its subsidiaries in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The purchase price is approximately 2,7 billion, including the debt assumed.
The transaction is part of a planned change in the ownership structure of Messer Griesheim. The shareholders of Messer Griesheim - the Messer family through their holding company Messer Industrie GmbH ("MIG"), Allianz Capital Partners ("ACP") and Goldman Sachs-managed private equity funds ("Goldman Sachs Funds") - have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, under which MIG will acquire the interests of ACP and the Goldman Sachs Funds.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
Departmental research by the Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture must be improved!
In its overarching structure and quality analysis of departmental research by the Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture (BMVEL), the Science Council comes to two central results: First, the prerequisites for high quality research must be improved. Second, the full potential of the science system must be used to provide scientific policy advice.
He therefore recommends that the BMVEL research institutes cooperate more intensively than before with other institutions in the scientific system and aim for joint publications. He also suggests shifting 15% of the institutional budgets of the federal research institutes to project funding. The BMVEL should formulate corresponding projects, advertise them system-wide and select the best quality offers.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
Fruit and vegetables were cheaper
Sweets and snacks rose above average in 2003, while food prices remained stable overall in the past year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, chocolate lovers had to pay an average of 7,2 percent more for a bar of whole milk chocolate. The prices for chocolate bars increased by five percent. According to the official surveys, it hit those who enjoy pralines less hard, for which only 0,4 percent more was charged. The rate of change in ice cream was only minus 0,1 percent.
The development in the purchase of salty snacks was hardly more positive: potato chips rose by 2,3 percent for consumers, and pretzel sticks by 1,5 percent. The Federal Statistical Office recorded the strongest price increase last year for honey, which was on average almost a quarter more expensive than in 2002. The main reason for this was the greatly reduced honey yield due to the mass extinction among native bee colonies. In contrast, prices for fruit and vegetables fell by 2003 percent and 1,2 percent in 1,4, respectively.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
German agriculture sees itself as active consumer protection
The current low price policy and the stinginess is cool mentality threaten the existence of many farms and upstream and downstream stages. Adalbert Kienle, Deputy Secretary General of the German Farmers' Association (DBV), pointed this out at the discussion forum "Food is worth more - an interim result" on the occasion of the International Green Week 2004 at the ErlebnisBauernhof. Farmers' incomes fell by 25 percent. A differentiated discussion of this ongoing topic is all the more important. It is simply unacceptable, said Kienle at the panel discussion of the DBV and the Sustainable Agriculture Promotion Association, that food in Germany is significantly cheaper than in the rest of the European Union. As a current example, he named young bulls, which are more expensive to sell for export than on the German market.
Gitta Connemann, member of the CDU Bundestag, agreed that the price spiral had to be stopped, otherwise there would soon be no more farmers. Rather, according to Connemann, German agriculture is active protection of consumers. Instead of allowing sales below cost price, politicians must become active for the positive image of German products. Either consumers should be prepared to spend more money for excellent food, or politicians must create opportunities for German farmers to be able to produce more cheaply. Ulrike Höfken, member of the Bundestag (Bündnis90/Die Grünen), called on consumers to attach more value and value to food. In principle, however, the cost structures should also be harmonized at EU level.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
In 2003, the number of newly concluded training contracts for butchers increased
A growing number of young school leavers see good future prospects for themselves in the butcher trade and are striving for a career as a butcher. Evidence of this is that in 2003 - as in the previous year - the number of newly concluded training contracts for the profession of butcher increased. According to a survey now available, the Federal Institute for Vocational Training registered a total of 3.099 new contracts for this profession. That is 85 contracts or 2,8 percent more than in the previous year.
In the case of specialist salespeople in the food trade, which also include butchers, the development continues to stagnate. In 2003, a total of 11.174 new training contracts were concluded here - 0,3 percent fewer than in the previous year.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
The responsible rapporteur of the working group on consumer protection, nutrition and agriculture, Gabriele Hiller-Ohm, explains the coalition application "Making food monitoring more efficient".
The recently discovered BSE controls have once again shown us: 100% safety in food monitoring is not affordable! But the red-green coalition is working to get as close as possible to this ambitious goal.
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
Make food control and monitoring more efficient
The Union parliamentary group and the Red / Green parliamentary groups discussed various proposals in the Bundestag to improve the coordination of food monitoring and control between the federal government and the federal states and between the federal states among themselves. Here you can find the official minutes of the Bundestag debate.
You can [download] the protocol as a pdf file here
Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on , Published in Archive
As reported by the Federal Statistical Office on the basis of preliminary results from seven federal states, retail sales in Germany in December 2003 nominally (at current prices) 2,2% and real (at constant prices) 2,5% less than in December 2002. The seven federal states represent around 84% of total sales in German retail. December 2003 had 25 sales days one more day than December 2002. After calendar and seasonal adjustment of the data (Berlin method 4 - BV 4), nominal 2003% and real 2,2% less were sold compared to November 2,3.
In 2003 as a whole, turnover in German retail was 0,9% in nominal terms and 1,0% less in real terms than in 2002. This result corresponds almost exactly to the estimate of January 22, 2004 (nominal and real: -1%). In the German retail sector, sales were lower than the previous year for the second year in a row (2002 compared to 2001: nominal - 1,6%, real - 2,1%).
