Analysis requests to the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment's National Reference Laboratories (NRL)

The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment is not responsible for monitoring food and feed. The enforcement of the provisions set out in the Food and Feed Code (LFGB) is the mandate of the authorities of the federal states. Regional monitoring is usually performed by the local regulatory authorities, which also control companies and take samples.

If you have any questions about the food or feed monitoring, please contact these authorities. Our directory of the acting authorities in the various federal states will help you to find the right contacts.

The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment is often asked for contact details of testing facilities, for example for checking the legal conformity of food or feed or in relation to approval for feed additives. In compliance with competition laws, the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment does not recommend any laboratories.

Companies or individuals can contact professional associations that represent the interests of companies in the relevant food or feed industries. The chambers of industry and commerce can also provide information on testing laboratories. In addition, the German Chemical Society (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker - GDCh) section of Freelance Chemists and Owners of Free Independent Laboratories maintains a list of laboratories on its homepage. There is also the German Association of Independent Testing Laboratories (Deutscher Verband Unabhängiger Prüflaboratorien e.V.). This information in no way constitutes an assessment as to the quality of the facilities mentioned above on the part of the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.

Analysis methods which, for example, allow the legal compliance of food or feed to be checked, can be found in the scientific literature and in the following collections of methods:

• Official collection of investigative procedures according to § 64 LFGB, please see:
  External Link:http://www.methodensammlung-bvl.de/
• VDLUFA Method Handbook:
  External Link:https://www.vdlufa.de/Methodenbuch/

Details of the methods of other standardisation organisations:

• German Institute for Standardization, DIN
  External Link:https://www.beuth.de/de
• European Committee for Standardization, CEN
  External Link:https://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=CENWEB:105::RESET::::
• International Organisation of Vine and Wine, OIV
  External Link:http://www.oiv.int/de/normen-und-technische-dokumente
• AOAC International, formerly Association of Official Analytical Chemists
  External Link:http://www.eoma.aoac.org/

About the BfR

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