"Krone" success

Minister of Agriculture changes canteen menu

In the new year, the schnitzel in the canteen of the Ministry of the Environment will not come mainly from the EU, as has been the case up to now, but will be of regional origin.(Bild: myviewpoint - stock.adobe.com)

"Krone" success for more Austria on the plate: after a stomach ache over cheap meat, the Ministry of the Environment is now opting for schnitzel & co from regional sources in the canteen.

Tempers flared after a visit to the "Krone" animal corner in the dining room of the ministry in the heart of Vienna. Since September 2023, the origin of meat, milk and eggs must be declared in state canteens. In itself, this is a good step towards food transparency. But anyone hoping that the government would prefer to serve its employees "Made in Austria" was disappointed during our local inspection.

While 100 percent of the eggs and milk come from Austria, a whopping 70 percent of the beef, chicken and pork was cheap meat from the EU. The responsible landlord, Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP), argued that the canteen, including the current lease agreement, had only been taken over this spring.

In the new year, the schnitzel in the canteen of the Ministry of the Environment will not come largely from the EU as before, but will be of regional origin.(Bild: myviewpoint - stock.adobe.com)

However, the criticism seems to have been heard - the environment minister is now changing the menu! From 2026, schnitzel & co. on the plate will also be primarily regional and red-white-red - with a focus on the AMA seal of approval to guarantee origin. There will also be a higher proportion of organic products. "The origin of the food is very important to me - also in the canteen of the Ministry of the Environment. It's about transparency and value creation for our farmers," assures Norbert Totschnig.

We will hopefully enjoy the good intentions during another visit in the new year.