![Lebensmittel (Source: Fotolia / Rawpixel.com) Lebensmittel](/SharedDocs/Bilder/13_Styleguide_Bilder_1193_512/Header-Lebensmittel.jpg?__blob=normal&v=7)
Food
Many paths – one goal: Safe food
The BVL contributes towards food safety with a wide range of measures. It grants authorisations and jointly coordinates monitoring programmes with the Federal States. Within the framework of the European rapid alert system, the BVL secures the flow of information between the EU and the Federal States. It is also the German contact point for the inspections of the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission. Apart from that, the BVL supports the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in crisis management.
Many topics, one goal
![Wer macht was? (Source: Chaiyawat / Fotolia) Das Bild zeigt eine Hand, die Puzzleteile zusammenfügen. (Quelle: Chaiyawat / Fotolia)](/SharedDocs/Bilder/12_Teaserbilder/00_Allgemein/teaser_WerMachtWas.jpg?__blob=normal&v=10)
Who does what?
From municipal administrations to the European Commission, a great number of authorities and institutions contribute to making food safer. The following text outlines some of the important players.
![Amtliche Lebensmittelüberwachung (Source: Marcus Gloger / BVL) Das Bild zeigt eine Frau, die Trauben in ihrer Hand inspiziert. (Quelle: Marcus Gloger / BVL)](/SharedDocs/Bilder/12_Teaserbilder/01_LM/teaser_LMUeberwachung.jpg?__blob=normal&v=6)
Official food control
Official food control checks that companies are complying with the legal provisions. The BVL prepares coordinated control plans as part of these checks.
![Schnellwarnsysteme (Source: ec.europa.eu ) Das Bild zeigt das Logo des RASFF. (Quelle: ec.europa.eu)](/SharedDocs/Bilder/12_Teaserbilder/01_LM/teaser_Schnellwarnsysteme.png?__blob=normal&v=6)
Alert and information systems
In order to ensure the high level of health protection within the European Union, various networks and systems were made available to the competent food monitoring authorities of the EU member states, which facilitate the cross-border exchange of …
![Grenzüberschreitender Handel (Source: Ralf Gosch / Fotolia) Das Bild zeigt einen Stapel von Frachtcontainern. (Quelle: Ralf Gosch / Fotolia)](/SharedDocs/Bilder/12_Teaserbilder/01_LM/teaser_GrenzueberschreitenderHandel.jpg?__blob=normal&v=6)
Cross-border trade
Businesses wanting to place food of animal origin on the market must be authorised by the competent authority, and are entered and published in the database of companies trading in animal foodstuffs kept by the BVL.
![Internethandel mit Lebensmitteln (Source: momius / Fotolia) Das Bild zeigt einen Zeigefinger, der auf einer Computertastatur auf eine Taste mit einem Warenkorbzeichen drückt. (Quelle: momius / Fotolia)](/SharedDocs/Bilder/12_Teaserbilder/01_LM/teaser_Internethandel_Allgemein.jpg?__blob=normal&v=6)
G@ZIELT: Safe Shopping on the Internet
Since July 2013 the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has been hosting the Common Central Unit "Control of Food, Feed, Cosmetics, Consumer Goods and Tobacco Products Traded on the Internet", in short G@ZIELT.
![Expertenkommission (Source: Marcus Gloger/ BVL) Das Bild zeigt Hände, die Pillen aus ihrer Verpackung nehmen. (Quelle: Marcus Gloger/ BVL)](/SharedDocs/Bilder/12_Teaserbilder/01_LM/teaser_Expertenkommission.jpg?__blob=normal&v=5)
Joint Commission of Experts on the Classification of Substances
With high professional and scientific authority, the commission drafts opinions on specific issues concerning the classification of substances which are placed on the market as foodstuffs/food ingredients.
![HoA WG FS (Source: AdobeStock / Botamochy) HoA WG FS](/SharedDocs/Bilder/12_Teaserbilder/00_Allgemein/teaser_HoA%20WG%20FS.jpg?__blob=normal&v=3)
Working Group „Food Supplements” of Heads of Food Safety Agencies
Members from 26 European states are developing a concept for the handling and classification of "other substances" with a nutritional or physiological effect that are used in or as food supplements.
![Krisenzentrum des BVL (Source: Marcus Gloger / BVL) Krisenmanagement im BVL](/SharedDocs/Bilder/01_Lebensmittel/Krisenmanagement/Krisenmanagement.jpg?__blob=normal&v=4)
Crisis management
The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) can take over co-ordinating functions in crisis management of food-borne disease outbreaks that affect more than one federal state.
![Frischmilchautomat (Source: Heckenbach / BVL) Frischmilchautomat](/SharedDocs/Bilder/01_Lebensmittel/BELA/Frischmilchautomat.jpg?__blob=normal&v=4)
FBO and Zoonoses
System in place for identification, epidemiological investigations and reporting of foodborne outbreaks.