A quick pre-packed ready meal or a meal cooked from scratch – what do Germans prefer? How do they choose their food? the Nutrition report 2017 answers these and many other questions. This report is the second time that the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has researched the current nutritional trends.
Forsa CEO Manfred Güllner (left) and the German minister of Food and Agriculture Christian Schmidt present the Nutrition report 2017 - Photo: BMEL
The German minister of Food and Agriculture Christian Schmidt and Forsa CEO Manfred Güllner, presented the second Nutrition report. Together they presented the results of the annual survey to journalists in Berlin, on 3 January 2017.
In the report the research institute, Forsa, collected the German habits, desires and trends on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. “The Nutrition report 2017 reflects our society. It shows how food, shopping and cooking are integrated into our modern work-life balance and that food is more than mere nutrition.
Eating and food are part of our culture and social cohesion, and it is not only associated with home and health but also with the increasing expectations and requirements for sustainable and socially responsibly produced food,” stated the minister during the presentation.
Nutrition should be a school subject
Minister Schmidt wants to create a special school subject about nutrition. The majority of the participants of the survey agree with the minister on this point. Nine out of ten Germans find knowledge about nutrition just as important as subjects such as mathematics, German or English. In the previous survey (2016) 89% of the participants already indicated that the basics of a healthy diet should be taught in primary schools. And according the Nutrition report 2017, the pupils will quite probably appreciate these classes, as the age category of 14-18 years old prefers cooking the most of all age categories. "We should pick up on this enthusiasm with school kitchens and a systematic and suitable educational concept," continued Schmidt.
A single source for nutritional information
Parallel to his plans for the school subject about nutrition, Schmidt has begun to reorganize the basic structures for nutrition information and communication. For instance, this month the German Center for Nutrition (Bundeszentrum für Ernährung, BZfE) will start its work. "The German Center for Nutrition will be the central point for everyday, science-based information, communication and recommendations on nutrition," explained Schmidt. Part of the BZfE is the National Center for Quality School Meals (Nationale Qualitätszentrum für Schulernährung, NQZ). Of all the participants, 90% wanted clear quality standards for school and day care center meals. The NQC will set out to create these standards.
Clear guidelines on the shelf-life of food
Minister Schmidt also advocates the introduction of a “use before date”, which clarifies when food is no longer edible. 70% of the participants of the Nutrition Report 2017 indicated that a “use before date” should replace the “best before” dates. Furthermore, 89% are in favor of removing the best before date of non-perishable foods. "This way we clearly acknowledge that the best before date is just a model. But consumers only want a clear indication of the date when food is no longer edible," stated minister Schmidt.