In Latvia, 89% of the population is important for children to eat quality local food in schools and kindergartens, said the Latvian Federation of Food Companies (LPUF), referring to the survey data conducted by the federation.
According to the survey, the issue of the availability of quality local food is more relevant for families with young children, as well as for families with lower incomes.
This year, 93% of respondents in the survey, which is three percentage points more than a year earlier, have expressed confidence that in Latvian food procurement, preference should be given to products made in Latvia, the quality and safety of which are confirmed by Green and Bordeaux spoon quality marks.
The survey also concludes that the population is increasingly concerned that children in educational institutions should not be fed food imported from abroad, the quality and safety of which is not confirmed by quality labels. The practice of using products of unclear quality imported from abroad in children’s nutrition would alarm 68% of the population, which is eight percentage points more than a year earlier.
LPUF head Ināra Šure noted that taking into account that foreign producers often choose to name products in Latvian names, disguising the country of origin of the product, Latvian producers would appreciate it if consumers studied packaging more carefully, looked for spoon quality marks and paid more attention to origin.
“The Green and Bordeaux spoon quality labels are a guide for hurried buyers to find high-quality locally sourced products. Spoon products have strict salt and sugar limits, and the quality requirements for these products exceed the food requirements of both Latvian and European Union regulations. “go into detail, studying the composition of the products in detail, then look for one of the two spoons on the package,” said the head of the federation.
According to the survey, 92% of consumers know the Green Spoon, but 51% know the Bordeaux Spoon.
At present, the Green Spoon has been awarded to 579 products of 135 companies, and the Bordeaux Spoon to 274 products of 53 companies. The green spoon is awarded to products that are produced in Latvia from local raw materials and meet increased quality requirements. In turn, the Bordeaux spoon is given to products whose full production cycle is made in Latvia, the product meets the requirements of increased quality, but the raw materials required for production may not be local.
The survey was conducted in collaboration with Snapshots in September 2020, surveying 768 respondents.
LPUF is a Latvian multidisciplinary non-governmental organization of food processing, which unites food companies and professional associations, represents producers in state and non-governmental organizations, defends the interests of members in the development of international standards, as well as provides informative support to LPUF members. The federation unites companies that occupy more than 60% of the entire Latvian food production market. It represents industry associations as well as dozens of large, medium and small companies.
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