General Standards
Germany follows the trade standards of the European Union. Standards are created or modified by the members of CEN and CENELEC (the national standards bodies of the EU countries), that monitor and participate in ongoing European standardization.
The German organization that compiles standards is the Deutscher Industrie Normenausschuss (DIN).
Conformity Assessment
Conformity Assessment is an obligatory point for the manufacturer in the process of conforming to EU legislation. The purpose of conformity assessment is to ensure consistency of compliance during all stages, from design to production, to facilitate acceptance of the final product. EU product legislation gives manufacturers several options regarding conformity assessment, these vary from self-certification, type examination and production quality control system, to full quality assurance system.
Product Certification
To sell products in the EU market exporters must apply for a CE marking. CE marking product legislation offers manufacturers a number of choices and requires decisions to determine which safety/health concerns need to be addressed, which conformity assessment module is best suited to the manufacturing process, and whether or not to use EU-wide harmonized standards.
Accreditation
The German Accreditation Council (DAR) is a working group consisting of representatives of the ministries of the German Federal Government, ministries of the German federal states, and by representatives of the German industry.
The DAR coordinates the activities in the field of accreditation and recognition of laboratories, certification, and inspection bodies as far as they are represented in the DAR.
All accreditation bodies represented in the DAR are operating on the basis of the EN 45000/EN ISO/IEC 17000 standard series and the DAR resolutions.
German Institute for Standardization
Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Institute for Standardization) is the German national organization for standardization and the German ISO member body.
The German Institute for Standardization develops norms and standards for rationalization, quality assurance, environmental protection, safety and communication in industry, technology, science, and government, as well as the public domain. DIN standards provide companies a basis for quality, safety and minimum functionality expectations and enable them to:
- minimize risk
- improve marketability
- promote interoperability
DIN offers a forum in which interested parties meet in order to discuss and define their specific standardization requirements and to record the results as German Standards.
Draft standards are published for public comment, and all comments are reviewed before final publication of the standard. Published standards are reviewed for continuing relevance at least every five years.
There are currently around thirty thousand DIN Standards, covering nearly every field of technology.
Food and Agricultural Standards
Most of the German food and agricultural laws are contained in the Food, Commodities, and Feed Code. German laws regarding food and agricultural products are generally fully harmonized with EU regulations and directives. The Food, Commodities, and Feed Code states the objectives of the German food law and provides definitions and specific rules for all the products. The Code prescribes general food safety and health protection rules, labeling requirements, regulates inspection, detention, and seizure rules for suspect food. These rules apply to both domestic and imported food products.
The Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL) is the agency responsible for monitoring compliance with German food regulations. The agency is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
The BVL is also responsible for risk management. The BVL controls substances and products that present a potential risks and that are directly or indirectly related to food safety (such as plant protection products and veterinary drugs).
In addition, the BVL formulates general administrative rules to implement laws related to the consumer health protection and food safety. The BVL also coordinates inspections to be carried out by the European Food and Veterinary Office, and is responsible for implementing the European rapid alert system for consumer health protection and food safety issues in Germany.
Labeling of food products
All food products sold/imported into Germany must be labeled in German. Multi-language labels and illustrations are also allowed. Generally labeling requirements are harmonized with the EU rules, which can be found here:
http://www.usda-eu.org/trade-with-the-eu/eu-importrules/
GMO-free labeling
Since July 2008 it has been permissible to label food products as biotech (GMO) products. Thus, the label “without biotech” (GMO free) is voluntary.
Allergen labeling
According to the new EU regulation 1169/2011, it is now prohibited to use the statement “Contains [allergen]”, as allergens must be indicated by clearly distinguished typeface in the ingredients list. Alcoholic beverage labels must also indicate allergens.
Packaging and Container Regulations
Germany applies EU-harmonized legislation to packaging and containers. However it should be mentioned that Germany applies additional requirements regarding packaging waste and recycling of packaging material.
The German Packaging and Waste Avoidance Law (Verordnung über die Vermeidung und Verwertung von Verpackungsabfällen, or VerpackV) requires producers, importers, and distributors of consumer products, to enter into a contract for recycling of packaging material with one of the licensed national recycling companies.
Food Additives Regulations
Germany applies EU-harmonized legislation regarding food additives.
Pesticides and Other Contaminants
Tolerance levels for pesticides were harmonized within the EU in 2008. More detailed information can be found here:
http://www.usda-eu.org/trade-with-theeu/eu-import-rules/pesticides/
Other Regulations and Requirements
The German Government applies EU-harmonized legislation for other related regulations and requirements including product inspection, registration and certification.
For detailed information on certification, please consult the following websites:
Certificates for Plant Products
http://www.usda-eu.org/trade-with-the-eu/eu-importrules/certification/plant-health-certification/
Certificates for Products covered by veterinary certification
Contacts
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL)
Website: www.bmel.de
E-Mail: poststelle@bmelv.bund.de
Tel.: +49 228 529 3677
Fax: +49 228 529 4262
Address: Referat 313 - Rückstände u. Kontaminanten in Lebensmitteln, Rochusstr. 1, 53123 Bonn, Germany
Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety - the responsible agency for scientific evaluation of pesticide residues in Germany
Website: www.bvl.bund.de
E-mail: poststelle@bvl.bund.de
Tel.: +49 531 21497 0
Fax: +49 531 21497 299
Address: Bundesallee 50, 38116 Braunschweig
