"Ohne Gentechnik" Experience Reports
What can businesses that use the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal tell us about it? We have collected experience reports to show how your business can also benefit from it.
If you are interested in using the experience reports, please contact us at presse(at)ohnegentechnik(dot)org!
As a leading food retailer in Germany, we attach great importance to transparent communication on our products and towards our customers. We are very familiar with the high expectations of our customers and always want to provide them with guidance when shopping from the large selection of products in our range. We do this, for example, by labelling our products with various seals and standards.
We have followed the history of the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal and the development of the association VLOG closely from the very beginning. Due to an amendment to the EC Genetic Engineering Implementation Act (EGGenTDurchfG), the then Federal Minister of Agriculture, Ilse Aigner, introduced the standardised seal in 2009 and entrusted the German Association for Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG) with its assignment.
The political support, the steadily increasing awareness of the seal, the further development of the VLOG Standard and the associated stricter verification requirements led to the decision in 2014/2015 to also assign the seal to our own brands. Since then, we have been committed to the continuous development of the VLOG Standard - always taking into account the latest scientific findings and facts.
Many consumers recognise the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal and it enjoys a high level of trust.
How long has your business been using the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal?
We are a founding member of VLOG and have been using the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal since the very beginning.
How did you become aware of the seal?
When we were faced with the challenge of ensuring GMO-free supply chains, it was clear that an independent body could fulfil this task with efficiency and credibility.
What was your basic motivation for using the seal?
In our idea of a good food, the way in which food is produced, is also relevant. We are therefore also concerned with the feeding of the animals that contribute to our diet. "Ohne Gentechnik" is a concern for our own brands.
What challenges did you face?
Everything you can imagine. Customers and suppliers have to be convinced, supply chains have to be set up.
What positive effects and successes has "Ohne GenTechnik" had for you?
Our own brands enjoy a high level of trust among our customers. "Ohne GenTechnik" contributes to this trust.
What are the arguments in favour of using the seal?
The "Ohne GenTechnik" seal helps us to secure and prove a core promise of our own brands. It also provides freedom of choice for customers who prefer GMO-free food.
What are your hopes for the future of the seal?
I hope that the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal will create visibility for the topic as long as we have a legal situation that allows the introduction of genetic engineering into our food without informing us consumers about it on the product. I hope that more people are aware of the background and added value of the seal.
Fritz Konz (Head of Quality and Environment) answered our questions on behalf of the Tegut supermarket chain.
Zoelzer Beekeeping has been using the "Ohne GenTechnik" seal since April 2017. The original application was very simple. I came across the possibility of certification when I was researching genetic engineering in agriculture. As a consumer, I want to avoid eating genetically modified food. I still stand by this decision today.
Thanks to the certification of my beekeeping (I produce around 750 kg of honey with around 40 colonies) and the large flight radius of the honey bees (up to 10 km), I can ensure that a large area is "occupied" if permission is granted to spread GMOs and I can therefore at least have a say in the use of GMOs.
I was particularly pleased that my beekeeping has been supplying a cheese factory, which is also registered with VLOG, since 2020. I think this is a good sales opportunity for me and a benefit for my customers.
I find it a little disconcerting that my customer is based near Bremen and I am based near Munich. Apparently there are very few beekeepers who are certified according to the VLOG Standard. So the distances from the producer to the customer are sometimes quite long, which leads to a poor CO2 balance. I would like to see more beekeepers making use of this seal so that delivery routes can be shortened or avoided.
Andreas Zoelzer
Zoelzer Beekeeping [www.imkereizoelzer.de]
Andreas Zoelzer is a passionate beekeeper from near Munich, a trained beekeeper and 1st chairman of the Bavarian Beekeepers' Association.