“Shameless ?? The fact that Norgesgruppen has no shame in this life is nothing new. But they go out of their way to show how shameless they are. Now they have really changed the design of their EMV mince too! The one that can hold meat from any place, that is. ”
On Friday night, Anders Nordstad posted a fiery post on social media, speaking harshly against the Norgesgruppen. EMV means “own brands” and is the term used for chain products.
Norgesgruppen is Norway’s largest grocery group and owns chains such as Kiwi, Meny, Joker and Spar.
Nordstad, former general secretary of the Norwegian Farmers ‘and Small Farmers’ Association, previously it “stopped on the barricades” for the labeling of imported meats. Something that Nettavisen has mentioned in several cases.
– Die anyway
Nordstad tells Nettavisen that he has been informed of the change in Norgesgruppen.
– I reacted immediately. I also reacted to the old packaging, where you couldn’t tell if there was German or Norwegian meat in the package. With the new design, the packages look exactly the same! Folket’s can be Norwegian meat, but it can also be German meat. Not everyone reads everything in small print, says the civil economist to Nettavisen.
And he adds:
– With Gilde, it’s always Norwegian meat. It is important for those who care about where their food comes from.
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Anders Nordstad is a Nettavisen blogger.
He has clear views that the food chain has an additional reason for this.
– The new design for the Norgesgruppen shows that they want to blur the difference. EMV’s share is now over 80% and it appears chains have a strategy to “take control” of the meat counters, says Nordstad.
Reject criticism
Politician Geir Pollestad (Sp) also noticed the Norgesgruppen’s new packaging for his minced meat.
– They don’t have a good imagination. The resemblance is absolutely spot on and there’s no doubt they’re trying to imitate Gilde, says the Storting rep.
Bård Gultvedt, Norgesgruppen’s director of trade policy and government relations, dismisses the claims.
– We have not knowingly imitated Gilde. Red is a common color to use. It’s not particularly unique, he says.
Gultvedt believes that the logo is clearly marked and that the clear green boxes on NorgeGruppen’s packaging distinguish the two products.
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– I’m sure Geir Pollestad and Anders Norstad see a difference if they’re placed side by side, he says.
Requires changes
Pollestad was a clear promoter of austerity measures in food chains when it comes to labeling imported meat. It also believes that a tightening of the copying of already established brands is necessary.
– We need to protect independent suppliers if we don’t want a market where food chains have some sort of monopoly on everything from production to sales, Pollestad says.
The government is now working on an investigation into EMV goods in stores, according to the politician.
– Measurements will be taken continuously when the investigation is ready. Public debate is very important. The chains want us to believe they are in extreme price competition. I mean I’m not. There is too little competition between the grocery chains, she says.
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Fewer choices
Nettavisen asks Nordstad, which currently spends a lot of time lecturing on Norwegian food production, if this is indeed a big deal for consumers.
– We have all learned to read the fine print. Isn’t it “nonsense” to react so strongly to the label change?
– Every supplier has a duty to offer options to customers. In this case, Norgesgruppen has chosen the design so that it is easier to make mistakes. This deprives customers of the option to choose Norwegian meat. I am sure this is a deliberate strategy of the Norgesgruppen. The strategy seems to be that “meat is meat”. If we want to have sustainable food production, we must ensure that consumers have the opportunity to choose food produced in Norway, replies the former secretary general of the Norwegian Association of Farmers and Small Farmers.
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According to Nordstad, there is a great deal of interest in this issue and that more and more people come into contact and get involved in social media.
– There is a growing awareness among Norwegian consumers. If Norwegian consumers are not actively offered the opportunity to choose Norwegian food, it will threaten our ability to be self-sufficient. Norway has the lowest degree of self-sufficiency in the world, she points out.
– Mark clearly
Gultvedt in the Norgesgruppen states that Folkets ground beef contains mostly Norwegian meat, unless there is a shortage of Norwegian meat on the market. Then it is imported.
– It’s not something we want, but if it happens, it will be marked on the package, he says.
– Nordstad points out that this is written in small print on the packaging, what do you say?
– We have changed the font size and moved the labeling to the front of the package, just to make it visible to the consumer. With a larger font size, we go even further in clear labeling than required by the authorities.
– Is this an attempt to take over the meat market from Gilde?
– This is by no means an attempt to take over the Gilde market, the director replies bluntly.
