Food safety; warning and information to the public

The Free State of Bavaria publishes public warnings and information on food, animal feed, consumer goods, cosmetics and products that could be confused with food.

What is published here?

Information is published on food, animal feed, consumer goods, cosmetic products and products that can be confused with food that are on the market in Bavaria and may have already been supplied to end consumers. The published information or public warnings have been initiated by the food business operators or by the official food control authorities.

What is meant by public warnings and information?

For constitutional reasons, a public warning or information to the public in the area of the Food and Feed Code by the competent authorities is only possible under the conditions of Section 40 of the Food and Feed Code. According to this, the authorities may only issue a public warning or inform the public if

• a food poses a risk to human health,
• there is reasonable suspicion of a health risk,
• there is reasonable suspicion that a cosmetic product or consumer product may pose a risk to human health,
• there is sufficient evidence in an individual case that a product poses a risk to health and safety and the uncertainty cannot be resolved within the required time due to insufficient scientific knowledge or for other reasons
• a food that is unfit for consumption, in particular a disgusting food, has been placed on the market in significant quantities or over a longer period of time,
• there is sufficient suspicion based on facts that regulations within the scope of application of this law, which serve to protect consumers from deception, have been violated to a more than insignificant extent, or
• it is reasonable to assume that significant disadvantages for manufacturers or distributors of similar products cannot be avoided without information.

Furthermore, the public may only be informed by the authorities if other equally effective measures cannot be taken or cannot be taken in time or do not reach consumers.

In cases where there is no sufficient suspicion of a health risk, information may only be provided if there is a particular interest on the part of the public and this interest outweighs the interests of those affected.

As a rule, information may no longer be provided if the product is no longer on the market and it can be assumed on the basis of life experience that it has already been consumed if it has been placed on the market.