Further technical supervision is performed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (chemicals safety, environmental contamination in feed and food) and the Federal Ministry of Transport (transport of hazardous goods, International Convention on Ballast Water Management, Central Command for Maritime Emergencies).

To this end, the BfR enters into an active dialogue with various contact partners from science, trade and industry, political circles, the media, associations, non-governmental organisations and consumers.

As tools for this purpose social research methodes are used, e.g. representative surveys, consumer conferences, delphi questionnaires and focus groups.

The following specialised groups are established in the department: In the scope of the statutory remit of risk assessment in the area of food safety and consumer protection, the department for Biological Safety deals with health risks for humans, in particular those posed by toxins formed by microorganisms and other microbial metabolites.

The department is involved in establishing the cause of outbreaks of foodborne diseases and zoonoses (statutory task laid down in the Protection Against Infection Act).

[6] A number of reference laboratories for the diagnosis and fine typing of pathogens, antibiotic resistance) and microbiological contamination of food are established in the department.

It seeks to identify connections in terms of mechanisms of action with a view to developing concrete management options for consumer protection.

The central tasks of the department include determination of the inherent toxic properties and dose-effect relationships, the classification and labelling of active substances in pesticides, the derivation of toxicological limit values, the determination of the exposure of humans, production animals and pets, and the derivation of risk mitigation measures and maximum residue concentrations with the aim of avoiding harmful impacts on the health of humans and animals.

In addition, the department reviews analytical monitoring methods and works on the (further) development of regulatory testing and assessment strategies and technical guidelines.

Experimental projects on the migration and exposure as well as the toxicity of chemical substances in these everyday products forms an integral part of the assessment activities.

Within the scope of the key topic of product identity and traceability, strategies and methods for verifying the authenticity of food are developed.

Alongside this, the department also carries out research on such things as the further development of concepts for detecting potentially toxic substances and their metabolites in food and feed.

This lies within the federal government's area of responsibility via ZEBET –the Centre for Documentation and Evaluation of Alternatives to Animal Experiments.

The centre also carries out its own research work and sponsors projects for developing alternative methods of other institutions in a targeted manner using a special budget.

Through ZEBET's work, the BfR advocates replacing legally prescribed animal experiments in particular, with alternative test methods wherever possible on a national and international basis.

With its work, the institute wishes to contribute to improving the safety of foods, substances and products and thus protect the health of consumers.

[10] The BfR carries out its own research on topics that are closely related to its assessment tasks in consumer health protection and food safety.

Cooperation with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for which the BfR is the national German point of contact (EFSA-Focal-Point), is an additional focus.

The BfR's research results and recommendations serve as important decision-making aids for measures in all affected areas, such as science, industry and industrial associations, trade, non-governmental organisations, consumer advice centres, the media, national and international committees and organisations, and interested consumers.

The BfR has the statutory remit of providing information on potential, detected and assessed risks which could be posed to consumers by food, substances and products.

[18] As the central national contact point (EFSA Focal Point), the BfR coordinates the exchange of scientific information between the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the authorities responsible for food and feed safety in Germany, as well as involved parties from the field of industry, politics, science and consumer associations.

The external experts come from universities and other research institutes, federal and state authorities, trade and consumer associations, private laboratories and industry.

Therefore, the applying experts must pledge during the application stage to act independently and in the public interest during their office as committee members.

In addition to this, every committee meeting starts off with a verbal inquiry about any potential conflict of interest relating to the topics to be discussed, and the results are recorded in the minutes which are then published on the BfR website.

[25] The overall concept of risk assessment and communication at the BfR provides for exchange of views with all stakeholders (NGOs, consumer associations, industry, politics, science, the media).

In addition, the BfR is linked to a large number of scientific sister and partner organisations through cooperation contracts.