Federal Food Keys
The Federal Food Key (BLS) is a food nutritional value database that was developed as a standard instrument for evaluating nutritional epidemiological studies and consumption surveys in the Federal Republic of Germany. The current BLS Version 3.0 records the average nutritional values and ingredients (138 items per food item) of around 10,000 food items (fresh food , preparations, ready meals, recipes).
The BLS is based on analysis values that the Max Rubner Institute (formerly the Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Food) has compiled from the relevant specialist literature, as well as analysis values from companies in the food industry and from international nutritional tables. These were documented in an unpublished base value file, stating the source number. In selecting the analysis values for the BLS, preference was given to using domestic nutritional tables. However, the data from these investigations mainly relate to around 1100 unprocessed basic foods. In order to obtain the ingredients of a further 9,000 compound and processed foods, calculation methods have been developed that allow these values to be determined. Thus, the nutritional value data of the BLS was mainly generated using these algorithms and loss model calculations.
In contrast to similar data collections in other countries, the federal food key cannot be used free of charge. License fees must also be paid for scientific or private non-commercial use .
The BLS is updated and maintained at the Max Rubner Institute in Karlsruhe. The MRI is an associated member of the “European Food Information Resource” ( EuroFIR ) network, which is building a Europe-wide internet-based information source. The aim is to provide data on the nutritional composition of foods collected according to harmonized principles, to provide information on bioactive substances with health-promoting effects in foods and to list nutritional data on ethno-food and traditional dishes.
Basic structure of the BLS
The structure of the key is to be explained using the example "B111000" for wholemeal bread-whole wheat bread.
- The first divides the food into main food groups, i.e. the type, here B = bread and biscuits
- The 2nd defines the food subgroups, here 1 = whole grain bread
- The 3rd and 4th classify the individual foods, here 11 = wholemeal bread - whole wheat bread
- The 5th processing, here = 0
- The 6th the preparation form, here = 0
- The 7th the weight reference, here = 0
Detailed structure of the BLS
Food main groups and subgroups (positions 1 + 2)
B - bread
- B0 Other and without information
- B1 whole grain bread
- B2 bread ( brown bread , brown bread , brown bread )
- B3 white bread , fine bread
- B4 Wholemeal rolls ( small baked goods )
- B5 rolls, (small baked goods)
- B6 crispbread
- B7 special breads / special rolls
- B8 bread product
- B9 Ready meals based on bread
C - cereals, cereals
- C0 Other and without information
- C1 grain
- C2 flour
- C3 Special grain
- C4 Special cereal flours
- C5 cereal products
- C6 Ready meals based on grain / flour
- C7 Ready meals on a special grain basis
- C8 ready meals based on corn
- C9 ready-made meals based on rice
D - Duration and pastries
- D0 Other and without information
- D1 fruit cake
- D2 fruit tarts
- D3 pies
- D4 cake
- D5 Cakes and pies made from special dough
- D6 small parts made from special dough
- D7 small parts, cookies , biscuits
- D8 Bakery products
- D9 Ready meals based on baked goods
E - eggs and pasta
- E0 Other and without information
- E1 eggs
- E2 egg products
- E3 egg-based ready meals
- E4 Pasta (types)
- E5 Whole grain pasta (s)
- E6 A special kind of pasta
- E7 Whole grain pasta of a special kind
- E8 pasta products
- E9 Ready meals based on pasta
F - fruits, fruit
- F0 Other and without information
- F1 pome fruit
- F2 stone fruit
- F3 soft fruit
- F4 wild fruits
- F5 tropical fruits
- F6 citrus fruits
- F7 not used
- F8 fruit products
- F9 Ready-to-eat fruit-based meals
G - vegetables
- G0 Other and without information
- G1 salad vegetables
- G2 leafy vegetables
- G3 cabbage vegetables
- G4 Sprout vegetables and leek vegetables
- G5 fruit vegetables
- G6 root vegetables and tuber vegetables (except potatoes )
- G7 Legume vegetables unripe
- G8 vegetable products
- G9 ready-made meals based on vegetables
H - legumes, nuts, oil and other seeds
- H0 Other and without information
- H1 nuts
- H2 Other nuts
- H3 cores
- H4 oil seeds
- H5 oil fruits
- H6 sprouts , germs
- H7 legumes (ripe)
- H8 nut products and oilseed products
- H9 legume dishes
J - Vegetarian foods
- J0 Other and without information
- J1 cereal products
- J2 soy products
- J3 soy milk and soy milk products
- J4 meat substitutes
- J5 spreads and fat spreads
- J6 fruit preparations
- J7 Dry products , condiments , stocks
- J8 Vegetarian products
- J9 Vegetarian ready meals
K - potatoes, mushrooms
- K0 Other and without information
- K1 potatoes
- K2 potato products
- K3 Ready meals based on potatoes
- K4 Plant parts rich in starch
- K5 products of starch-rich parts of plants
- K6 ready-made meals of starchy products
- K7 cultivated mushrooms / wild mushrooms
- K8 mushroom products
- K9 ready-to-eat mushroom-based meals
L - food for special nutrition
- L0 foods for various diets
- L1 protein modified foods
- L2 High energy and high fiber foods
- L3 food for diabetics
- L4 reduction diet
- L5 Low- sodium / high-mineral foods
M - milk, dairy products, cheese
- M0 Other and without information
- M1 milk and sour milk
- M2 mixed milk products
- M3 hard cheese
- M4 semi- hard cheese
- M5 semi-hard cheese
- M6 soft cheese
- M7 cream cheese , sour milk cheese , cooked cheese , processed cheese
- M8 milk products and cheese products
- M9 milk dishes and cheese dishes
N - Non-alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea and water
- N0 Other and without information
- N1 mineral water , drinking water
- N2 fruit juice drink
- N3 showers / lemonades
- N4 coffee
- N5 coffee substitute
- N6 tea
- N7 fruit tea , herbal tea
- N8 beverage products
- N9 mixed drinks
P - Alcoholic beverages
- P0 Other and without information
- P1 beer (average 3.5%)
- P2 white wine , red wine , rosé wine (average 10%)
- P3 Wine-like drinks, sparkling wine (up to 18%)
- P4 fortified wine (sweet or dry) (15–22%)
- P5 liqueur (average 32%)
- P6 brandy made from wine
- P7 spirits (min. 32–40%)
- P8 Alcoholic products
- P9 cocktails
Q - oils, fats, butters
- Q0 Other and without information
- Q1 Vegetable oils , <30% linoleic acid content
- Q2 Vegetable oils, 30–60% linoleic acid content
- Q3 Vegetable oils,> 60% linoleic acid content
- Q4 margarine
- Q5 Vegetable fats
- Q6 butter
- Q7 animal oils
- Q8 animal fats
- Q9 Oil sauces, mayonnaise , fat preparations
R - recipe ingredients
- R0 Other and without information
- R1 condiments
- R2 spices
- R3 essences , aromatic substances
- R4 auxiliaries , baking shoots , gelling agents and thickeners
- R5 additives, sweeteners
- R6 additives, preservatives
- R7 additives, vitamin supplements , mineral supplements , tonics
- R8 bouillon cube , meat extract
- R9 recipe ingredients products
S - confectionery, sugar, chocolate, ice cream
- S0 Other and without information
- S1 sugar , honey , sweet spread
- S2 ice cream
- S3 Sugar confectionery , sweets
- S4 marzipan , liquorice , brittle , nougat
- S5 chocolate
- S6 Chocolate goods , pralines
- S7 cocoa / cocoa drink
- S8 confectionery products
- S9 Ready meals based on confectionery
T - fish and fish products, crustaceans and mussels
- T0 Other and without information
- T1 Herring fish , mackerel , tuna
- T2 Cod-like fish , cod , haddock , saithe , goldfish
- T3 flatfish , flounder , plaice , tongue
- T4 salmon fish
- T5 carp fish
- T6 Perch-like fish
- T7 crustaceans , shellfish
- T8 fish products
- T9 ready-made meals based on fish
U - meat
- U0 Other and without information
- U1 pieces of beef
- U2 beef cuts
- U3 pieces of veal
- U4 veal cuts
- U5 pieces of pork
- U6 pork cuts
- U7 pieces of mutton / pieces of lamb
- U8 Mutton cuts / lamb cuts
- U9 Ready meals based on meat
V - game, poultry, game birds, offal
- V0 Other and without information
- V1 horse , goat , rabbit
- V2 hairless game
- V3 game birds
- V4 poultry
- V5 offal of domestic animals
- V6 offal of game , poultry
- V7 -
- V8 animal products
- V9 ready meals based on game
W - sausages, meat products
- W0 Other and without information
- W1 raw sausage
- W2 boiled sausage
- W3 cooked sausage
- W4 bacon , ham
- W5 meat products
- W6 cured products
- W7 -
- W8 meat products
- W9 Ready meals based on meat products
X - menu components predominantly vegetable
- X0 Sandwiches , toasts , breakfast cereals
- X1 salads , cooked
- X2 salads, raw
- X3 sauces
- X4 soups
- X5 vegetable side dishes
- X6 potato dishes
- X7 Pasta dishes , pasta dishes , pizzas
- X8 rice dishes
- X9 grain dishes , pastries , pancakes
Y - menu components predominantly animal
- Y0 sausages, minced meat dishes ,
- Y1 meat dishes from beef
- Y2 meat dishes from veal
- Y3 meat dishes from pork
- Y4 meat dishes from mutton + lamb
- Y5 meat dishes v. Game + poultry
- Y6 fish dishes
- Y7 egg , quark and cheese dishes
- Y8 Sweets , desserts
- Y9 quick meals , ice cream
Processing of the food (position 5)
Processed foods
- 0 - commercially unprocessed
- 1 - fresh unprocessed
- 2 - frozen , frozen fillet , hardened (fat) , blanched , industrially cooked
- 3 - concentrate , pulps , extract , de-oiled / defatted , fillet (fish), industrially cooked
- 4 - dried , grated , salted ( fish ), flour, flakes , crushed , industrially steamed
- 5 - Powder, instant products , degreased flour, industrially steamed
- 6 - juice , smoked , roasted , pasteurized , industrially baked
- 7 - Trunk , nectar , salted, pickled -geräuchert, Preserve in oil , UHT , industrial grilled
- 8 - Products, purees , pastes , cured-unsmoked, soured , preserves , jams , sterilized , industrially fried in fat
- 9 - canned food
Dairy products M1, M2
- 0 - other, without information, average consumption
- 1 - <1% fat (for lean, skimmed = 0.3% fat)
- 2 - 1–3% fat (for low-fat, partially skimmed = 1.5 to 1.8% fat)
- 3 - <5% fat (for full fat = 3.5% fat)
- 4 - <10% fat (for no information = 7.5% fat)
- 5 - 10% fat (cream)
- 6-15% fat
- 7-20% fat
- 8-30% fat
- 9 - 40% fat
Dairy products M3-M7, M81-M83
- 0 - other and not specified
- 1 - lean level <10% FiTr.
- 2 - quarter fat level 10% FiTr.
- 3 - semi-fat level 20% FiTr.
- 4 - three-quarter fat level 30% FiTr.
- 5 - fat level 40% FiTr.
- 6 - full fat level 45% FiTr.
- 7 - cream level 50% FiTr.
- 8 - double cream level 60% FiTr.
- 9 - 65-85% FiTr.
Beverages N4-N7
- 0 - other, without information, average consumption
- 1 - drink black
- 2 - drink with milk
- 3 - drink with milk and sugar
- 4 - drink with condensed milk / cream
- 5 - drink with condensed milk / cream and sugar
- 6 - drink with sugar
- 7 - drink with sugar and lemon
- 8 - drink with alcohol
- 9 - dry product
Form of preparation of the food (position 6)
Basic foods B to W
- 0.1 - commercially available, not prepared
- 2 - cooked (general), heated gargezogen, poached, blanched, mikrowellenerwärmt , microwave cooked
- 3 - cooked, pressure cooked,
- 4 - braised , pressure braised steamed, pressure steamed
- 5 - steamed, pressure steamed,
- 6 - baked, fried (in air), casserole , gratinated
- 7 - grilled, roasted , toasted
- 8 - fried in fat,
- 9 - deep fried
Menu recipes X and Y
- 0 - other and without information
- 1 - menu component, household
- 2 - menu component, industrial kitchen
- 3 - menu component, gastronomy
- 4 - menu component, household
- 5 - menu component, industrial kitchen
- 6 - Menu component, gastronomy
Weight reference of the food (position 7)
- 0–3 - traffic weight without kitchen waste
- 4 + 5 - traffic weight with kitchen waste
Individual evidence
Web links
- Official website of the Federal Food Key
- Dr. Jürgen Erhardt and Barbara Conzelmann: Interactive Nutritional Information System. In: a web portal as part of a thesis. University of Hohenheim , 2016, accessed on August 2, 2020 .
- Search for foods from the federal food key and from the food industry
- Directory of all food databases worldwide (English) at INFOODS , coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations