Our mandate

Protecting human health is central to the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment's work. Through its work, the Institute significantly contributes to making food, substances, and products safer, thereby enhancing consumer health protection.

The central task of the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment is the scientific risk assessment of food, feed, substances, and products to support the consumer health efforts of the German Federal Government. The Institute advises the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and, in some cases, other top federal authorities. To this end, the Institute prepares scientific opinions, statements, and other resources. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment serves an advisory role and is involved in various registration and authorization procedures.

A scientific, research-driven approach

The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment's work in consumer health protection is guided by a scientific, research-driven approach. Risk management authorities rely on the Institute’s health risk assessments and opinions for recommended actions. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment's findings and recommendations are a valuable source of information and decision-making support for all stakeholders. With its science-based risk assessment, the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment provides important and influential impulses for consumer health protection within Germany and beyond.

To ensure that BfR’s assessments are not influenced by political, economic and social interests, the Institute operates independently in its scientific assessments and research, free from government instructions, as stipulated by the BfRG. When the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment performs tasks outside the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Nutrition and Agriculture (BMELshort forGerman Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture), it is subject to the technical instructions of the relevant supreme federal authority.

The assessments serve as a basis for the implementation of legislation on the one hand and for policy decisions on the other. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment therefore aims to provide a solid scientific foundation for its contributions to both legislative implementation and policy advice. How about this: This involves adequately considering and clearly presenting existing knowledge, while also communicating relevant scientific counter-opinions and uncertainties.

The overall concept in accordance with the BfRG and the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment statutes explicitly provides for dialogue with all stakeholders, including NGOs, consumer associations, industry, politics, science and the media. The advisory participation of various stakeholders is particularly important when scientific positions are represented and rationalised. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has therefore convened various commissions in order to comprehensively cover its scientific advisory needs. Their members are selected based on scientific excellence and represent diverse stakeholder groups, including universities, research institutions, federal and state authorities, trade and consumer associations, private laboratories, and industry. These external experts advise the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and make recommendations, but they are not involved in official decision-making processes and the preparation of risk assessments and BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment opinions.

The main areas of work of the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment include

• health risk assessment of the biological and chemical safety of food and feed,
• scientific advice to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and in some cases, to other supreme federal authorities,
• health risk assessment of the safety of substances (chemicals, plant protection products, biocides) and selected products (consumer goods, e.g. textiles and food packaging, cosmetics, tattoo inks and tobacco products),
• risk assessment of genetically modified organisms in food, feed, plants and animals,
• public relations and risk communication,
• development and validation of alternative and supplementary methods to animal experiments,
• method development and validation activities of the National Reference Laboratories.