Guidelines are drawn up by the German Food Code Commission. The guidelines include generally understandable designations for products as well as descriptions of their production, condition, and other characteristics. For example, the guidelines specify the required proportion of wheat flour in a mixed wheat bread or the proportion of poultry meat in a delicatessen poultry salad.

The descriptions in the guidelines have the character of so-called objectified expert reports. While the guidelines are not legal regulations, they are used by manufacturers, trade, and food surveillance as a basis for the evaluation of food. Manufacturers can deviate from the characteristics described in the guidelines, but this must be adequately indicated on the product labels.

Guidelines currently apply to 21 product groups:

• Honey
• Tea, tea-like products, their extracts and preparations
• Mushrooms and mushroom products
• Vegetable juice and nectar
• Vegetable products
• Wine-like and sparkling wine-like beverages
• Fruit juices
• Fish, crustaceans and mollusks and products thereof
• Meat and meat products
• Delicatessen salads
• Potato products
• Fruit products
• Pasta
• Bread and pastries
• Ice cream
• Puddings, other sweet desserts and related products
• Cooking fats and oils
• Fine baked goods
• Spices and other seasoning ingredients
• Oilseeds and masses and sweets made from them
• Soft drinks
   

The current guidelines can be accessed at https://www.deutsche-lebensmittelbuch-kommission.de/.