The people who have been living in Germany might have noticed that the consumption of meat in daily life is high. Especially it is common to see meat in various forms for breakfast. There are different type of meat available in Germany. Most of us might have noticed and also familiar with the differences between bio meat and also non-bio meat.
There are also a few other differences in the meat which we consume in Germany. If you consume meat regularly or occasionally, this post will be very interesting and also shocking for you.
Haltungsform
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is known as “Tierhaltungsform” in German. The meat is segregated into various types, based on how the animals were bred. There are 4 different types of animal husbandry.
- Stable housing (Stallhaltung)
- Stable housing Plus (StallhaltungPlus)
- Outside climate (Außenklima)
- Premium (Premium)
Husbandry type – Colour identification
You can differentiate the husbandry type by looking at the colour on the package. There are 4 different colours used to find the different husbandry type.
- Red
- Blue
- Orange
- Green
Animal welfare
Animal husbandry labelling is based on animal welfare like how the animal had lived, where it had lived, etc. You can see 4 levels ranging from 1 to 4 on the package.
- Haltungsform 1
- Haltungsform 2
- Haltungsform 3
- Haltungsform 4
Animal husbandry labelling
Animal husbandry labelling makes it easier for consumers, when buying meat, to find the way the animal was bred when buying meat. It is quite easy to find animal husbandry by looking at the package. In most of the package, it can be found on the top side.
Stable housing (Stallhaltung)
The lowest category is stable housing. It is indicated as Haltungsform 1 and with a red colour. Stable housing describes the legal minimum standard in terms of space and materials for growing chickens, turkeys, young bulls, cows and pigs.
For example: 26 chickens should share the space of 1 square meter.
Stable housing Plus (StallhaltungPlus)
The second-lowest category is stable housing Plus. It is indicated as Haltungsform 2 and with a blue colour. Stable housing plus describes the legal minimum standard in terms of space and materials with minimal improvements.
- Chickens and turkeys get straw as foods.
- Cows are not tied up.
- Pigs get additional organic activity material.
For example: 23 chickens should share the space of 1 square meter.
Outside climate (Außenklima)
The next category is outside climate. It is indicated as Haltungsform 3 and with a orange colour.
As we can easily understand from the term “Außenklima”, which means the outside climate. We may also think that the animals have access to an outdoor area, can run around in the fresh air and will grow up in the outside climate. But it is not true.
The reality is, it is sufficient to have an open window in the stable (animal growing area) for labelling the pack as the outdoor climate with the Haltungsform 3.
Premium (Premium)
The top most category is premium. It is indicated as Haltungsform 4 and with a green colour. The animals, grown in this husbandry, have more space compared to the stable housing and stable housing plus.
Example: 14 chickens should share the space of 1 square meter.
Haltungsform table
| Animal husbandry | Haltungsform | Colour identification |
|---|---|---|
| Stallhaltung (Stable housing) | Haltungsform 1 | Red |
| StallhaltungPlus (Stable housing Plus) | Haltungsform 2 | Blue |
| Außenklima (Outside climate) | Haltungsform 3 | Orange |
| Premium (Premium) | Haltungsform 4 | Green |
Apart from the above-mentioned criteria and details, there are many other requirements that should be satisfied to get one of the above-mentioned 4 levels and the corresponding labels.
My experience
When I tried to purchase meat from two different supermarkets, I found that premium category meat is hard to find. On the other hand, it is very common to find meat from stable housing and stable housing plus categories.
I will explain the possibilities to buy the premium category meat in my upcoming post. Click here to read the post.
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