Health mark
Health mark is the official designation for an EU-uniform symbol that is stamped on officially examined carcasses. The establishment number contained therein was designated as the veterinary control number until the end of 2005 . Since January 1, 2006 this company number has been called the approval number . Since January 1, 2006, the term identity mark has also existed in addition to the term health mark . Food business operators affix the identity mark to other animal products or their packaging. The term health mark is z. Sometimes wrongly used for the identity label attached to the packaging .
In Germany, identity and health marks are issued by the respective licensing authorities of the federal states after checking the requirements (licensing according to EU hygiene law). The label says that the company that last handled or packaged the product works according to EU-wide hygiene standards and is monitored accordingly. It can be found on the packaging of all foods of animal origin (dairy products, meat products, fish and mollusc products, egg products), where it is prescribed across the EU by European Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004. The label is often referred to as "filled by:" or "packed by:". Only food of animal origin produced or processed in retail businesses (e.g. in butchers, supermarkets, gastronomy, large kitchens) and given or delivered directly from there to end consumers are exempt from the labeling requirement and the businesses are exempt from the authorization requirement. Another exception to the labeling requirement is for fresh eggs, which are labeled according to market law.
This marking is not primarily intended for the end user, but for the monitoring authorities and trading partners. From the label, conclusions can only be drawn about the manufacturing company, but not about the origin of the raw materials . They are only possible if a geographical designation of origin has been used. For example, “Irish butter” must be made in Ireland, even if the final packaging was done in Germany.
All member states are obliged to publish lists of the establishments and their respective approval numbers.
With the General Administrative Regulation for Food Hygiene (AVV LmH) of September 12, 2007, the approval number for all different types of operation was newly and uniformly regulated for Germany. It consists of an abbreviation for the state and a 5-digit number, e.g. B. "BW 12345". In the actual labeling, this approval number is preceded by the abbreviation of the member state (1st line) and the respective national language abbreviation for the European Community (EC) is placed at the end (3rd line). These three lines are surrounded by an ellipse . This marking consists of four parts. These four parts stand for:
- (in line 1) the EU member state ( AT , BE , BG , CY , CZ , DK , DE , EE , EL , ES , FI , FR , HU , HR , IE , IT , LT , LU , LV , MT , NL , PL , PT , RO , SE , SI , SK , UK ) or the EEA state ( IS , NO ) as well as by special agreement ( CH , FO , GL and SM )
- (in line 2) in Germany: the federal state ( BB , BE , BW , BY , HB , HE , HH , MV , NI , NW , RP , SH , SL , SN , ST , TH )
- (in line 2) in Germany: the 5-digit company number
- (in line 3) the abbreviation for European Community (CE, EB, EC, EF, EG, EK, EO, EY, ES, EÜ, EK, WE)
Until the new regulations in Germany in 2007, abbreviations for the type of establishment and up to 4-digit establishment numbers were used instead of the abbreviations for the state. The abbreviations for the operating modes were:
ES slaughterhouse for domestic animals such as beef, horse, pork, sheep or goat ("red meat"), ESG slaughterhouse for domestic poultry, ESK slaughterhouse for domestic rabbits, EUZ repackaging facility according to the meat and poultry meat hygiene law, EV processing facility for meat, EZ cutting facility for red meat, EZG Cutting company for poultry meat, EZK cutting company for domestic rabbits, EHK independent production unit for minced meat and meat preparation company, EWK game processing company, EFU fish packing company, EFB fish processing company, EP egg products, a federal state code in connection with a 3-digit company number stood for a dairy company.
However, this had the consequence that formerly companies with several production areas received several approval numbers. Approval numbers that were previously assigned do not necessarily have to be changed. Only newly approved companies have to receive a single approval number under the new system.
In other EU member states, different rules apply to the second and third parts of the code.
Companies outside the EU that want to produce and export animal food for the EU must also be approved and listed and their products must also be labeled with a health mark or identity mark.
See also
Web links
- List of company numbers for Germany (with search function) at the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety
- eucode.info search engine for company numbers in several EU countries
- List of products that carry each health label on Open Food Facts
Individual evidence
- ↑ Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 (PDF)
- ↑ Regulation (EC) No. 854/2004 (PDF) with corrections to Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004
- ↑ BVL — Genusstauglichkeitskennzeichen - The identity and health mark . Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL). December 26, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ↑ Lists of the establishments approved in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 for trading in food of animal origin in Germany (BLtU). Retrieved December 26, 2012 .
- ↑ EUROPA - Food Safety - Biological Safety of Food - Approved Establishments - Links to the respective company approval lists / databases of the EU member states (Official Link List of the EU). Retrieved December 26, 2012.