Battle over Sausage Packaging: Still Paying for That Casings, Bro?
Dispute over Wurstskin packaging: Is additional payment for packaging necessary? - Inquiring about the cost of the packaging?
by Matthias Urbach** ± - 3 Min
On a turbulent Tuesday, the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig dived deep into the world of liver sausage: Is the casing and metal clip part of the product or the packaging? The former means you gotta pay, the latter not. A EU regulation from '76 claimed the casings and clips belong to the product. But wait a minute, the district of Warendorf disputed this, referring to a newer food information regulation from 2014. This reg warned against distributing a liver sausage where the casing and clip were included in the product weight, causing a colossal legal fuss.
After a lengthy court case, the Administrative Court decided in favor of the weighing office, the Higher Administrative Court backed the manufacturer. Tired of this dance, the highest court in town, the Federal Administrative Court, stepped in and made the final call - the weighing office won. "The food inside must match the weight outside", Judge Ulla Held-Daab said, backing her decision. Non-edible casings and clips don't count towards that.
The Packaging Crackdown: Old as Trade Itself
A majority of consumers probably don't care a whit about payin' for the sausage casing. Many may be blissfully unaware of the rules in the food industry. It's been quiet about "the Tara" for decades. Tara is the trade term for packaging weight, meaning the weight deduction for packaging. In essence, only the product needs to be paid for, not the packaging.
The trend to pay for the product and not the packaging is probably older than your average grammie. The word Tara comes from the Arabic "taraha", which translates to "remove" - and found its way to German via Italian in the 14th century.
Tara-Cheating: An Old Problem Returns
Back in the day, there were many complaints to consumer centers 'cause the packaging was often weighed in at weekly markets, and customers were footin' the bill too much. Expensive products like Parma ham or North Sea crabs could run up to 50 cents or more.
With the rise of supermarkets, pre-packaged goods took over. Manufacturers followed the rules, complaints simmered down. As the younger generation emerged, knowledge about the Tara rules seems to have been lost.
But now the problem is rearin' its ugly head again: With increased environmental awareness, more and more customers are usin' their own packaging. Supermarkets themselves are hoppin' on the reusable net bandwagon for fruit and veg. However, things are gettin' messy at the checkout counter with all these different bags, pouches, and nets. Consumer centers reported over half of their test purchases with reusable nets last year saw 'em charged too much.
Sack It Up: A Cotton Bag for Fruit Weighs 56 Grams
Moreover, the new reusable bags are much heavier than plastic bags. The consumer advocates, who conducted the aforementioned test, found a cotton net weighin' a whopping 56 grams. If you deduct the regular two grams of Tara for plastic bags, that makes a considerable difference. Organic fruits can make an additional euro or more. Customers can't usually check this at the checkout, 'cause most stores don't list Tara on the receipts.
Trade: No Sweat with the Packaging Rule
The Federal Association of the Food Trade (BVLH) also maintains there's no struggle with the tare rules: "We stick to the legal rules", said association lawyer Axel Haentjes. "If it's not entirely clear whether a package weighs two grams or four grams, we'll just subtract four grams from the weight."
So, what's a consumer to do? Make sure ya press the tare button at the checkout when weighin' your items. If ya can't find the correct tare weight at a self-checkout, it's best to weigh without a bag. In essence, only the product needs to be paid for, not the packaging.
And that advice applies to that liver sausage from yonder, too.
Sources: Federal Administrative Court, Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia, BVLH, Consumer Advice Center Hamburg, Consumer Advice Center Baden-Württemberg, with dpa
- Packaging
- Food
- Sausage
- In the world of food packaging, the debate over whether sausage casings and metal clips belong to the product or the packaging can lead to unexpected costs for consumers.
- To ensure you're only paying for the food inside, make sure to press the tare button at the checkout when weighing your items, even when purchasing items like sausages.
