The German Green Party is advocating for the public release of inspection reports for restaurants, food retailers and food production facilities. This call comes amidst a legal dispute concerning former inspection records from the now-defunct butcher shop previously owned by Federal Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer (CSU).
Zoe Mayer, the Green Party’s spokesperson for agriculture and food policy, emphasized the importance of transparency in the food sector. “Greater transparency in food production and processing is a central societal concern” Mayer stated to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. She highlighted a recommendation from the “Nutrition in Transition” citizens’ assembly, which suggested making inspection results easily accessible and understandable for the public. “I explicitly support this recommendation” Mayer confirmed.
The call for transparency specifically targets Minister Rainer, urging him to release the inspection reports for his former butcher shop, which he ceased operations on in May. Mayer asserted that, given his position, Rainer has a responsibility to lead by example, promoting clarity and actively contributing to the examination of existing allegations.
Consumer protection organization Foodwatch is currently engaged in legal action seeking the release of these reports. The responsible district administration previously refused to provide them, citing the business’s closure.
