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What came before the egg? The world’s largest chicken made of plants knows the answer

28/2019, 08.08.2019

Welcome to BfR-Eiland (Egg-Land): An interactive plant labyrinth providing entertaining and child-friendly information on the chicken and the egg

How does the egg get from the coop to our plates? What makes a good egg? And what needs to be taken into account when handling food like eggs and poultry so they are safe to eat? Visitors to BfR-Eiland, the interactive plant labyrinth which was opened on 9th August, find out answers to these questions. They discover interesting facts about eggs and chicken on the discovery tour through a large field of corn, sunflowers and other plants. Topics include chicken farming, egg production and practical, everyday tips. "Our goal is to teach food safety with a mixture of information and entertainment. This is particularly important for children and young people, but also adults who learn something new during the tour," says BfR President, Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. BfR-Eiland is open until 13th September 2019. Entry is free.

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) invites school children, nursery groups, families and all interested individuals to discover fun facts about the chicken and the egg at BfR-Eiland, the educational plant labyrinth adventure trail, from 9th August until 13th September 2019. On the 1.5km long path through the labyrinth that looks like a chicken from above, they can acquire and test new knowledge - with a small reward at the end.

Engage all your senses at the various stations, such as a mobile chicken coop, barefoot path, smellodrome and a hay bale play area. Information and interactions are presented in an entertaining and age-appropriate way for younger visitors.

Eiland is now BfR’s fourth educational plant labyrinth. Pervious themes have included keeping and feeding dairy cows (RisiKuhLabyRind), the processing and food safety behind fast food (Currywurstlabyrinth) and fragrance and flavouring safety (Schnupperlabyrinth).

BfR-Eiland is a project in cooperation with the University of Kassel. UNESCO has labelled the concept of "learning in a labyrinth" as the "education for sustainable development 2010/2011" decade project. According to the jury, the concept of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Kassel offers a wide range of opportunities to present and communicate agricultural educational content in a realistic way. Students of the faculty have been, and still are, actively involved in the conception of the project.

At the weekends, cooperation partners of the BfR present their work and topics. Among them is the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU, the Steglitz-Zehlendorf regional group), who inform the public on agriculture and the protection of bees. At the Berlin Senate Administration for Justice, Consumer Protection and Anti-Discrimination stand, visitors can test the freshness of eggs themselves. The German Poultry Association uses interactive exhibits to show us what poultry farming today is all about. Additional cooperation partners include Friedensbrot e.V., Deutscher Verband Tiernahrung e. V. (DVT) and i.m.a. - information.medien.agrar e.V., who develop campaign events and inform about their work. Further information can be found at the following link:

BfR-Eiland is open from Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00 until 18:00. Tours (approx. 1 ½ hours) take place during the week for school classes and nursery groups. For this, please register at the following link (form in German):

Individuals do not need to book. Further group tours are available upon request. Directions can be found at the following link:

About the BfR

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany. It advises the Federal Government and Federal Laender on questions of food, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts its own research on topics that are closely linked to its assessment tasks.

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