A heated debate over liver sausage's packaging: Should you pay for the wrapping again?
- Author: Alessandro Rossi
- Reading Time: Approx. 3 minutes
Title: Sausage Skin Debate: Another Payment for the Casing? - Dispute over the Sausage Casing Persists
On Tuesday, the German Federal Administrative Court addressed the question of liver sausage: Is the casing and metal clip considered part of the product or the packaging? For the former, you pay, for the latter, you don't. The controversy seemed to be settled by an EU regulation from 1976, stating that the sausage casing and clips belong to the product.
However, the regional calibration office responsible for the Warendorf district pointed to a more recent food information regulation from 2014. This regulation prohibited the sale of liver sausage where the casing and clips were included in the product weight. The product packaging labeled 130 grams of liver sausage, but despite the casing and clips, it weighed less than 128 grams due to their weight.
This caused a long-standing dispute in court. The Administrative Court ruled in favor of the calibration office, the Higher Administrative Court favored the manufacturer. On Wednesday, the highest court in such matters, the Federal Administrative Court, took up the case. The court delivered its verdict in favor of the calibration office. "The food within should match what's on the outside," Judge Ulla Held-Daab explained her final decision, stating that non-edible casings and clips do not contribute to this.
The packaging rule: an ancient trade tradition
Most consumers may not mind paying for the sausage casing. Many may not even be aware of the rules in the food industry. The issue of "the Tara" has been silent for years. Tara, a trade term for "packaging weight," refers to the weight deduction for packaging. Traditionally, customers have only been required to pay for the product, not the packaging.
The Tara regulation, emphasizing the need to only pay for the product, is thought to be as old as trade itself. The term Tara comes from the Arabic "taraha," which means "remove," and entered the German language via Italian in the 14th century.
Tara-Nep: An old problem resurfaces
In the past, consumers frequently complained to consumer centers about being charged too much due to the weight of the packaging, particularly on the weekly market. High-quality products, such as Parma ham or North Sea crabs, could add up to 50 cents or more to the cost.
The rise of supermarkets led to a decrease in complaints, as manufacturers followed the Tara rules. According to Armin Valet of the Consumer Center Hamburg, younger consumers seem less interested in this detail, and a little knowledge about the Tara rules appears to have been lost.
However, the problem is reemerging: With growing environmental awareness, more and more customers are bringing their reusable packaging. Supermarkets themselves are also offering reusable containers for fruit and vegetables. The staff at the checkout counters seem to be struggling with various bags, pouches, and nets. Last year, the Consumer Center Baden-Württemberg conducted 16 test purchases with reusable nets, and more than half of the cases resulted in overcharges.
A heavy cotton bag for fruit weighs 56 grams
In addition, the new reusable bags are much heavier than traditional plastic bags. A cotton net purchased in a store weighed a surprisingly heavy 56 grams. If the usual 2 grams of Tara for the plastic bag are deducted, this can significantly impact the cost, especially for expensive organic fruit where it could quickly add up to an extra euro. Customers often find this perplexing at the checkout, as most stores do not list the Tara on the receipts.
Despite this, the system seems to function without significant issues. In two of the test purchases conducted by the Consumer Center Baden-Württemberg, the markets calculated too little. And if, for instance, one utilizes the self-payment checkout at Edeka and weighs the items themselves, one is overwhelmed by the variety of options: a Berlin branch had 18 different tare weights available, ranging from 2 to 222 grams.
The trade: No trouble with the Packaging Rule
The Association of German Food Retailers (BVLH) also consistently asserts that there are no issues with the Tara rules: "We strictly adhere to the metrology law," states association lawyer Axel Haentjes. "If the weight is not entirely clear, we will subtract a weight greater than the actual weight."
What should consumers do? When shopping, make sure you press the tare button during weighing at the checkout. The checkout display will usually show this. If you cannot find the correct tare weight at the self-payment checkout, it's best to weigh without a bag. In general, only the product needs to be paid for, not the packaging.
And as of yesterday, this now also applies to liver sausage.
Sources: Federal Administrative Court, Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia, BVLH, Consumer Center Hamburg, Consumer Center Baden-Württemberg, dpa
- Packaging
- Reusable Bags
- Food
Enrichment Data:There is no explicit reference in the provided search results to German regulations specifying whether sausage casings and packaging should be included in the declared product weight for sausages sold to consumers. While other jurisdictions, like the UK and the US, have specific rules about meat and fat content, as well as required labeling information, the German legal texts cited here focus on dietary recommendations for meat consumption and restrictions on importing packaged foods, but do not clarify the inclusion of casings or packaging in net weight declarations. The precise regulatory wording on this matter is not detailed in the available sources [1][2][4].
- The packaging of sausages, including casings, is a topic of interest in the food industry, as it has historical roots related to old trade traditions.
- In the case of liver sausage, a recent regulation prohibits including the casing and clips in the product weight when selling to consumers, aiming to ensure accurate labeling of food products.
- As more consumers turn to reusable packaging for shopping, the issue of the Tara (packaging weight) becomes relevant, with customers sometimes being overcharged due to the weight of the reusable bags.
- When shopping, consumers should be aware of the Tara rule and ensure they press the tare button during weighing at the checkout to avoid being charged for packaging.
