It will rankle some opposition politicians that the Hessian minister Priska Hinz (Die Grünen) survived the scandal surrounding the bad sausage from the north Hessian company Wilke while in office. The case drew attention across Germany because it was linked to three deaths and 37 illnesses. The e-mail in which the Federal Office for Consumer Protection informed the responsible ministry in Wiesbaden about the suspicion that the food contained Listeria was ignored there for eight days. But Hinz managed to simply sit out a scandal of the magnitude that once cost two federal ministers their offices.
This was also due to the fact that the SPD parliamentary group in the state parliament held back with criticism.
Because in the north of Hesse, a social-democratic district administrator also played his part in the fact that too much time passed before the company was closed.
More than two years later, the administrative court in Wiesbaden has now decided that Hinz should have published a list of the places where the sausage was issued, as requested by the consumer protection organization Foodwatch.
Recalls are an important sign
The FDP and the left in the state parliament have forced the minister to answer questions from the responsible committee. But regardless of whether the country's announced appeal against the verdict is allowed or not - this matter seems trivial compared to the actual scandal. Hinz takes the view that the processing of the requested information is extremely time-consuming. Weeks would be needed without consumers being helped in the end. Apparently the other federal states see it that way too. In fact, it can be too late, for example, if it is only reported after a month that unhealthy food has been distributed in a nursing home. From this point of view, Hinz is right: First and foremost, it depends on the comprehensive and reliable implementation of recalls.
But it is careless when the minister warns against transparency "that does not lead to the goal".
Anyone who is out and about at Christmas markets or other folk festivals knows only too well that some of the food on offer there is not in order.
The fact that even a minister for "consumer protection" emphatically stated how much she shies away from naming individual sales outlets publicly gives the black sheep the confidence that they will not attract attention.
Hinz seems to be unaware of this.