Das BVL koordiniert Source: BVL / Gloger

Wherever foodstuffs are manufactured, processed, packaged, or sold, competent authorities carry out controls at regular intervals and upon suspicion. They sample foodstuffs and analyse them for pathogenic germs, heavy metals such as, for instance, lead, and residue levels of plant protection products or veterinary drugs, including antibiotics. The control of foodstuffs in supermarkets, restaurants and at manufacturers is the task of the competent government authorities of the 16 Laender in Germany. The BVL as a Federal Government authority is co-ordinating these controls. To this end, we publish programmes saying what foodstuffs are to be controlled by which criteria. We compile the data surveyed and publish results in annual reports that are presented at our yearly press conference and discussed at professional events such as symposia.

In order to make food control data comparable while they are produced by many different laboratories, analytic methods have to be the same everywhere. Co-ordinating this is also our task. We develop new standardised analytic methods and provide them to laboratories. To this end the BVL operates eight National Reference Laboratories. Each is specialised on detection of certain chemical substances or genetically modified organisms in foodstuffs. There are also European Reference Laboratories, in order to guarantee uniform food controls within the European Union. One of them, the Community Reference Laboratory for residues of veterinary drugs and contaminants in foodstuffs of animal origin is established at the BVL.

Co-ordination is also a task of ours in the field of crisis management. This is because government authorities have to react very quickly and efficiently when, for instance, pathogenic germs appear in foodstuffs. They have to identify the risky food product, remove it from the market, track delivery chains. Also, they have to test many other food products, analyse the disease and assess the risk of disease. This involves many authorities at Laender and Federal Government level. Depending on the dimensions of an event or crisis, they co-operate in different structures, such as a situation centre or emergency staff. We assist in and co-ordinate this co-operation. These staffs meet in our offices, and we deliver information fundamental to their decisions, as we compile all information and data available in daily status reports.

As with food and consumer product control, reference laboratories, and crisis management, we co-ordinate and manage data in yet many other fields. For instance, we operate a public database of establishments approved for trading food of animal origin. That makes it easy to find out – directly in the supermarket, just using your smartphone – who is the manufacturer of a yogurt, milk, meat, or egg.

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