Proposed Animal Welfare Label for Restaurants Faces Uncertain Future

A new bill from SPD and Greens seeks to extend animal welfare labeling to dining establishments, but its implementation remains unclear due to political and logistical challenges.

The SPD and Greens have introduced a bill to mandate animal welfare labeling on restaurant menus, similar to upcoming supermarket requirements for fresh pork starting August 2025.
The proposed system would categorize animal welfare standards into five levels, ranging from legal minimums to organic certification.
Implementation options include physical or digital menu updates, with flexibility for establishments to provide information upon request.
Industry representatives argue the plan imposes excessive bureaucracy on restaurants, citing frequent recipe changes and limited consumer interest in such information.
The bill is scheduled for parliamentary discussion on December 20, but its future is uncertain due to the SPD-Green coalition's lack of majority following the collapse of the Ampel coalition.