The Hessian Environment Minister Priska Hinz (Die Grünen) believes that the finding of listeria in a food factory in southern Hesse is “not a scandal”.

She made that clear on Wednesday in the responsible committee of the state parliament.

The factions of the FDP and Left had submitted two comprehensive reports on the case that became known over the Easter days.

Ewald Hetrodt

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung in Wiesbaden.

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Cucumbers contaminated with germs from a company in Gernsheim had been delivered to clinics in Frankfurt and Offenbach.

Several people got sick.

It has not yet been finally clarified whether one of them died as a result of the infection.

The public prosecutor is investigating against the owner of the company.

As reported, the representatives of the district of Groß-Gerau admitted that the operation had not been checked for two years, although this should have happened twice in twelve months.

The case is the second to occur in Hesse within a short period of time.

In 2019, listeria was detected in sausage products from the Wilke company in northern Hesse.

Three deaths and 37 cases of illness were associated with this scandal at the time.

Errors only for companies and districts

The tightening of food controls prompted by Hinz had been criticized by the opposition as insufficient.

"Everything worked out this time," Hinz said at the committee meeting.

When the ministry was informed of the suspicion in mid-February, the regional council acted immediately.

The occurrence of the disease was “stifled in the beginning”, the “operation was closed in a flash”.

"The safety net worked," the minister stated.

"That's good news when it comes to food control." Only the company and the district made mistakes.

Companies have to comply with the regulations and work properly.

And the local authorities would have to control them.

Hinz denied any responsibility.

But something has to change, she says.

In the future, companies like the one in Gernsheim will not only be controlled by the local veterinary authorities, but according to the so-called two-authority principle.

The regional council also participates in this.

In contrast to the minister, the consumer advocates regard the southern Hessian case as a food scandal.

People often only find out about grievances when fatal outbreaks of disease occur, states the head of the consumer advice center, Philipp Wendt.

"That is unacceptable." You have to be able to rely on the fact that food is safe.

The control authorities need sufficient staff for this.

The equipment must be decoupled from the financial situation in the municipalities.

"The state of Hesse must take more responsibility here," says Wendt.

"Food monitoring at state level would relieve the municipalities both financially and through synergy effects of the national division of labor." The legal requirements would have to be adjusted in such a way that the authorities could immediately order recalls and carry them out themselves, Wendt demands.

Control density varies significantly

Hinz pointed out that the lack of controls in Gernsheim was due to the burden on the authorities caused by the pandemic.

In principle, one cannot speak of a lack of staff.

It has increased by twenty percent since food monitoring was transferred to the municipalities in 2005.

In view of the enormous increase in tasks, that's not much, says Social Democratic MP Knut John.

It is not the approach of the ministry after the suspicion became known that is objectionable, but the behavior in the time before that.

It was known that the number of controls in the different municipalities differed significantly.

In some cases, the degree of fulfillment is only around 55 percent.

The state's technical supervision should not lose sight of such deficits.

It must be about preventing food scandals instead of just reacting, said Wiebke Knell, deputy chairman of the FDP parliamentary group.

The minister has no idea about this.

"Three years after the Wilke scandal, not even the minimum number of prescribed food controls in Hesse has been reached," complained Heidemarie Scheuch-Paschkewitz (Die Linke).

At that time, Hinz had given himself more authority to issue instructions.

Obviously it was of no use.

"It's outrageous that Hinz now sees the blame solely on the circles."