Food A-Z

What are foods? Foods are products that humans consume to nourish themselves or for enjoyment. Thus, a distinction is made between pleasure goods and foodstuffs, which are taken in through the mouth in raw or previously processed states. Foodstuffs primarily serve nutrition, the increase of important vitamins and nutrients, and our health. Pleasure goods are mainly products that stimulate certain senses and do not serve nutritional intake. These include coffee, spirits, and tobacco products.

Food Products

Food products are distinguished between plant-based food products and animal-based products. A main component of plant-based foods is fruit and vegetables. They belong to the basic foods of humans and are rich in vitamins. Due to their fiber content, they also play a significant role in digestion. One of the staple foods among food items is the potato. It has low but high-quality amounts of protein and many vitamins.

The end products made from grains, such as pasta and bread, continue to take up a large part of plant-based foods. The main components of animal-based food are meat products from cattle and pigs, poultry, and fish. This also includes eggs and dairy products. But among the food items are not only animal and plant-based end products but also beverages and spices, where there is no longer a clear boundary with spices as to whether it is a food item or a luxury good.

Food and Health

To eat healthily, it is important to correctly dose the amount of food products. However, one should primarily focus on balanced nutrition. This includes at least 5 small meals with plant-based foods and 2 liters of beverages per day. It is important to consume animal-based foods only in moderation. Thus, fish and meat should each be consumed twice a week, and more plant-based than animal-based fats should be used for preparation.

Food and Industry

The food industry in Germany is organized in a federal association. There are 5900 companies listed with over half a million employees. Of the end products, 22 percent are produced for export. The businesses are often medium-sized enterprises due to their size.

Food and Politics

Currently, there is a strong price competition between the food industry and discount food retailers. Food prices for consumers have been reduced again. This happened twelve times last year and leads to many companies or smaller businesses no longer being able to keep up with this trend. The competition in this sector becomes increasingly questionable and difficult.

Food Control

The food supervision in Germany has the task of protecting end consumers from health risks as well as misleading information. Regular inspections are carried out in all branches that deal with foods. Attention is paid to the type of storage of foods, their shelf life, and labeling. On the other hand, spaces and equipment are strictly inspected, and great emphasis is placed on hygiene.
If there are violations in handling food items, these are punished with fines and warnings.