OUR ANSWER FOR THE FUTURE IS ORGANIC SAUSAGE

 

GÖTTINGEN

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of possible cancer risks from eating processed meat products. We spoke about this to Frank-Walter Eisenacher, head of the Göttingen sausage producer, Börner-Eisenacher.

 

Will you now have to stop your sausage production?
FRANK-WALTER EISENACHER: If one questions how the WHO arrived at this decision, its significance is rather meaningless. The former Chairman of the Board of the German Cancer Research Center, Harald zur Hausen, has highlighted that there are countries with high meat consumption and very low rates of bowel cancer and sees absolutely no causality.

 

Which sausage types are the most dangerous – Stracke or Bregenwurst?
EISENACHER: Stracke and Bregenwurst are traditional sausage specialities from the region of Göttingen in Lower Saxony. They are manufactured from the best, fresh meat. Meat is nutritionally valuable. Therefore it is very enjoyable and healthy right now in the cold season.

 

How much sausage do you eat per week? Will you limit your consumption?
EISENACHER: I am now 60 years old and have always eaten a lot of meat and sausage. I play a lot of sport and will not change anything because enjoyment means quality of life for me. A balanced, varied diet that also includes meat and sausage together with sufficient exercise is the best pre-requisite for reaching old age.   Are you concerned that sales of your products may decrease?
EISENACHER: I hope that the consumers will react calmly to this sweeping WHO information because we have already had this discussion many times. Why is our life expectancy constantly increasing if we are allegedly eating such risky food?

 

Will you bring alternative, meat-free products to market or are you already planning this?
EISENACHER: We have developed vegetarian sausage-substitute products, yet despite all efforts, we find them lacking in taste compared to meat-containing products. Nor do we like the very long ingredients list.

 

What is your answer for the future?
EISENACHER: Our answer for the future is organic sausage. We are further expanding our range up to a proportion of 50 percent. Organic livestock farming is the sustainable way of caring for and feeding animals. Anyone who has ever seen how much space the animals have, how good it smells in the barn and how well organically reared animals feel, will understand what I mean.

 

Personal profile
Frank-Walter Eisenacher (60) is the Managing Director of Börner-Eisenacher GmbH. The Göttingen-based company producing sausage specialities employs 130 people and generates annual revenues of about EUR 35 million. (bsc)