Das Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung

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Questions and answers on mineral oil components in food

In the following, the BfR has summarised frequently asked questions and answers on mineral oil components that can migrate from packaging into food.

Measured: What amount of cannabinoids is transferred into the hemp tea infusion?

Hemp tea available in online shops often consists of leaves and flowers of fiber-type hemp. Various cannabinoids are contained in hemp teas. A team of researchers from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has investigated in 23 hemp tea varieties to which extent cannabinoids are transferred into the tea infusion.

C. difficile - An intestinal germ with pathogenic potential

Clostridioides (C.) difficile is a bacterium that can colonise the human intestine without caus-ing symptoms. However, it can also cause infections associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, if the bacterial community in the human intestine has been disturbed. Here, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has compiled questions and answers on C. difficile and its significance along the food chain.

#Krisenalltag – Kommunikation in der Pandemie: Exhibition opens

How well did governments, authorities and health institutions communicate during the Corona pandemic? And how did people react to these institutions’ posts and tweets on social media? These are the questions addressed by a research project whose first results are now on display at the Museum of Communication Berlin.

Product Notifications and Poisonings

The Institute

The Institute was set up in November 2002 to strengthen consumer health protection. It is the scientific agency of the Federal Republic of Germany which is responsible for preparing expert reports and opinions on food and feed safety as well as on the safety of substances and products.

For health assessment the decisive factor is whether and, if so, on what scale consumers come into contact with the substances contained in the products and what health risks these might entail. This requires knowledge about the numerous substances, materials and their processing into various products.

BfR endeavours to constantly undertake topical assessments of the risks associated with foods - be it from heavy metals, pesticide residues, toxic ingredients or the like (substance risks), be it from bacteria, viruses or fungi (microbial risks) or be it risks from novel technologies in food production (novel foods).

Chemicals are encountered in almost all areas of daily life. That's why stiff requirements must be imposed to ensure the safe handling of chemicals. The proper handling of chemicals may not constitute a risk to the health of man or to the environment.