Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 6.12. 2010

Regional food according to adjusted methodology next year

A new methodology for granting a mark Regional Food increases a number of competition categories; on the contrary shortens a time for which producers will be allowed to decorate the appreciated foods with the logo of Regional Food. A number of members of evaluator commissions and representation of partners and co-operating organization were closely determined. “The new methodology counts on enlargement of the current number of sic categories to nine. Above all, for the reason that a big number of products was entered in the categories milk products, bakery and confectionary products, sausages and meat products this year. By splitting of categories, more high-quality regional specialties will get a chance to succeed in the competition and consumers will have manifold choice”.

Check and certification of bio-foods and ecological farming

Bio-foods are not a cheat even though their control is not perfect. Front domestic experts confirmed that at a panel discussion. Bio-food production on ecological farms passes a sufficient check and guarantees to a consumer that products with the mark bio really meet a higher environmental standard. Predominantly administrative character of some checks should be enlarged by practical sampling of extraneous substances whose results should be available to consumers. A panel discussion took place in Prague, on the 1st of December, on the topic Bio-foods check and certification. Front experts discussed problems of a check of ecological farming and bio-foods.

MA wants for small farmers to soften condition of food sale from gate

The Minister of Agriculture (MA) Ivan Fuksa (ODS) wants to soften rules for farmer sale of foods from gate which he considers as a very important and needed. The same tough rules for food processing are hold for small producers as for large-scale processor, for example if it is dealt with milk for cheeses and cottage cheeses, or with meat for sausages. The Ministry wants to propose in 2011 to soften norm for small farmers after the fashion of Austria and Germany so that it would be easier to sale from gate. Fuksa told it in Pilsen today on the occasion of opening of three milk automatic machines which will offer as the first in the Czech Republic a beverage treated by careful pasteurization. “There is no point in think out already thought up. It is enough to look over borders where they have a small house beside a cow-shed and they sell wonderful cheeses there”.

Pickers have started to harvest grapes for ice wine. Thermometer showed minus 20 degrees

Grape pickers set off into twenty-degree frost in the Znojmo region. The cut grapes from shrublets from which ice wine is produced. They picked about four tones of grapes of the variety Tramin on two hectares of vineyard in Stošíkovice na Louce. “The raw-material quality was excellent”, Antonín Zatloukal, a production assistant manager of the company Znivín Znojmo, which produces ice wine, told. The law determines for picking ice grapes a seven-degree frost as minimum. According to Zatloukal, it is better ten degrees below zero for two days. Grapes freeze through sufficiently for this time. He extraordinarily relished today´s minus 20. Frost guarantees that water will freeze in crystals in grapes and during pressing will stay in the press. From the grapes vine-growers will extrude only a very sweet thick must from which wine is subsequently produced.