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Jan 12, 2026 - Foods

Freely available Federal Food Code enhances transparency and comparability

The German Nutrient Database (BLS) is now freely available. This opens a central classification system for food in Germany to a wide audience. Experts see this as an important step towards more transparency, open data usage, and better comparability in science, administration, and practice.

The BLS serves the uniform description and systematization of food. It classifies food according to clearly defined criteria such as type, composition, origin, and degree of processing. This ensures that food can be clearly recorded and evaluated nationwide. For example, there is a precise distinction between "apple", "raw apple", or "apple sauce" - a differentiation that is particularly important for statistical evaluations and nutritional science analyses.

Until now, the use of the German Nutrient Database was only possible in a limited manner or for a fee. With the recent release, access is significantly simplified. Research institutions, authorities, companies, as well as interested citizens can now use the BLS without financial or legal hurdles. This, among other things, makes the calculation of nutritional values more transparent and easier to understand.

The BLS is mainly used in nutritional science, official statistics, and food monitoring. The wide use of a common classification system allows data from different sources to be better compared and consolidated. This increases the quality of statistics, market analyses, and scientific studies while also improving the basis for political decisions in the areas of nutrition, consumer protection, and health.

With its free availability, the German Nutrient Database makes an important contribution to an open data culture and supports evidence-based decisions in politics, business, and society.

The German Nutrient Database is available online at:
👉 https://blsdb.de/search?token=VUC6-NES1-850F-EK4Q-VWWY-DHO0-U7BX-HG9E