News

14.02.2023 - Foods

Summaryofthefoodwarnings2022

Overall, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) issued 137 warnings in 2022. The number of warnings decreased by 32% compared to the previous year. Most warnings in 2022 were in the product groups of cereals & bakery products, herbs & spices, soups/broths/sauces, meat and meat products, as well as milk and dairy products (each 10%).

Reports on www.lebensmittelwarnung.de by the federal states and the BVL provide an overview of public recalls, problem cases, and information related to food in Germany. The published warnings concern health-hazardous, disgusting, or otherwise non-marketable food.

Biological hazards, e.g., due to microorganisms, account for the largest share of complaints (52%), followed by exceedances of limits for chemical parameters (36%), with physical hazards playing a minor role in 2022 (6%).

The main causes of food warnings in the group of biological hazards are, as in the previous year, salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli or EHEC/STEC/VTEC, as well as undefined causes of spoilage. The number of warnings due to salmonella has almost doubled compared to the previous year. For this reason, we would like to place special emphasis on salmonella once again and have summarized the most important information below.

Recalls due to chemical hazards occurred in 39% of cases due to pesticides. Again in 2022, the main cause was the detection of ethylene oxide. Products were also recalled in 31% of cases due to inadequate allergen labeling.

Further links:

Robert Koch Institute: Listeriosis Fact Sheet
Federal Institute for Risk Assessment: Health Assessment of Bacteria
Salmonella Profile (BAV): Relevance of Salmonella in Food

At the BAV Institute, we regularly conduct tests for pathogenic microorganisms. We provide you with fast and reliable results and are happy to advise you on all matters related to product safety. If you have any questions, our customer advisors are happy to assist you.