The policy, called ‘regional window’, is a response by the agricultural ministry to data they collected last year that said 67 per cent of consumers valued the specific regional origins of food.

Voluntary labels will disclose information about the region from which the food has originated in a food labelling pilot scheme. Eligible products will require 100 per cent sourcing from one of five test regions.

Five regions will be piloted seeing Baden-Württemberg, Berlin / Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and the Hamburg metropolitan region market 150 products in 20 supermarkets.

This regionality in the purchase of foods is "an increasingly important criterion', said Agriculture Minister, Ilse Aigner, at the internation Green Week in Berlin last.

"A transparent, predictable and reliable labelling of local products is important. The customer who wants choice and can afford it should be offered it," added Minister Aigner.

The pilot will run from January to April and hopes to promote local and special food such as Baden-Württemberg pasta and sausages by indicating they have been made from wheat and pork produced in the area.