Dioxine scandal picks up steam in Germany

[Marcus Aurelius]

Not just cheap, very cheap. I'll post some prices later today of the Migros' (one of the biggest supermarket chains here in CH) budget line products (milk, cheese, meat - what else?).

Last time I was in Switzerland in 2007, the food prices there were slightly higher than in Finland, which is already in the top 3 of EU countries. Partially that may have been just because the exchange rate was not favorable at the time, but I also heard rumors that poor people living close to the French or German borders sometimes bought more expensive groceries on the other side of the border.

And I don't mean that cheap wine from Lidl/Aldi, either

(Here you can't even buy wine from Lidl, because the government has alcohol monopoly above 4.7% ABV due to the "interesting" drinking habits of many Finns.)

[Dahak]

Yeah, but what is your point?

That it's unhealthily cheap?
At one point, something has to give when you race for the bottom.
If you try to sell someone, for instance, a brand-new BMW series 3 for 5.000€ you will be more than just suspicious. If you offer meat at the price levels in your usual LIDL, no one is.

It is not like Germany is the only country with "unemployed masses" that need to be fed, e.g. France or Italy are not collapsing due to rampaging hordes demanding cheaper food...
That is a cultural thing, wherein a culture actively values good food, and Germany does not have that. So we buy cheap rubbish food and expect it to be high-price quality. And this leads to producers cutting corners and you get yourself a new food scandal.

[[R_H]]

Last time I was in Switzerland in 2007, the food prices there were slightly higher than in Finland, which is already in the top 3 of EU countries. Partially that may have been just because the exchange rate was not favorable at the time, but I also heard rumors that poor people living close to the French or German borders sometimes bought more expensive groceries on the other side of the border.

And I don't mean that cheap wine from Lidl/Aldi, either

(Here you can't even buy wine from Lidl, because the government has alcohol monopoly above 4.7% ABV due to the "interesting" drinking habits of many Finns.)

I took a quick look today. 2L of whole milk costs SFr2.95, ground beef (no more than 11% fat) costs SFr.16.00/kg, ground beef/pork mixture (no more than 11% fat) costs SFr.18.00/kg. Those were budget line products.

[Marcus Aurelius]

I took a quick look today. 2L of whole milk costs SFr2.95, ground beef (no more than 11% fat) costs SFr.16.00/kg, ground beef/pork mixture (no more than 11% fat) costs SFr.18.00/kg. Those were budget line products.

I can see the prices are still pretty high. I just bought ground beef/pork mixture with no more than 10% fat today and the price was 6.5 € / kg. Pure ground beef is more expensive here and typical price would be something like 8 € / kg. Only the milk price sounds roughly similar to Finland. Of course this is a very limited comparison and the overall price difference might not be as great as the meat prices indicate. These would be standard, not budget line products at a large supermarket of the largest Finnish supermarket chain. Small supermarkets and grocery stores usually have slightly higher prices.

I didn't check prices at the Lidl which is right next to that store, but meat prices there are similar to Finnish chains, even if their overall price level is still slightly lower. They used to be quite a lot lower, but Finnish chains have lowered their prices somewhat and Lidl has started to sell more Finnish made products (under their own brands, but locally produced), which has raised their prices.

[Dahak]

You get a liter of milk for somehwere between 0.50€ and 0.90€ (though you can pay more for bio-milk or special brands like Landliebe or others).
Ground meat (mix or beef) you can get it between 3 and 5 € in a supermarket.

[Thanas]

You get a liter of milk for somehwere between 0.50€ and 0.90€ (though you can pay more for bio-milk or special brands like Landliebe or others).
Ground meat (mix or beef) you can get it between 3 and 5 € in a supermarket.

The latest is per pound though, not per kg, right?

[Marcus Aurelius]

You get a liter of milk for somehwere between 0.50€ and 0.90€ (though you can pay more for bio-milk or special brands like Landliebe or others).
Ground meat (mix or beef) you can get it between 3 and 5 € in a supermarket.

The latest is per pound though, not per kg, right?

3-5 € per pound would be about 6.6-11.1 € per kilogram, so I don't think he meant that. It would be roughly the same price as Finland (in fact slightly higher, since I can get high fat stuff cheaper than 6.5 € / kg) and that can't be right, because like I said, Finland is already in the top 3 of EU countries as far as food prices go.

[Dahak]

You get a liter of milk for somehwere between 0.50€ and 0.90€ (though you can pay more for bio-milk or special brands like Landliebe or others).
Ground meat (mix or beef) you can get it between 3 and 5 € in a supermarket.

The latest is per pound though, not per kg, right?

No, kilo-price.

[Thanas]

Wow. I'd say more but...I pay at least double that if I go to my metzger.

[Dahak]

Wow. I'd say more but...I pay at least double that if I go to my metzger.

Can check Aldi or Lidl for prices online, you'd find them in that price range. It is literally dirt-cheap...

[[R_H]]

That's incredibly cheap.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Wow. I'd say more but...I pay at least double that if I go to my metzger.

Finland does not really have butcher shops any more, apart from a few ones in Helsinki for the rich people, but if we did, I'm sure the prices would start at 10 € /kg. In those rich people places it's probably even higher, although I haven't checked.

[Jawawithagun]

Here are the current meat offers at the Real supermarket chain.

Beef 6.99
Veal 9.99
Pork Mince 2.99
Pork Sides 1.99
Boiling Meat (Beef, including bones) 4.99

prices each per 1kg.