Food Safety Records in Germany: Laws, Inspections and IfSG Certificates

German food safety records explained: LFGB, IfSG certificate, food control inspections, public warnings, allergens, common failures and digital records.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in Germany need food safety records? Yes. Every German food business needs food safety procedures based on HACCP principles (EU Regulation 852/2004, Article 5), and has to be able to show its monitoring records. The food control office (Lebensmittelüberwachung) of your district or city inspects restaurants, usually without warning. Germany has no hygiene rating or sticker, but serious or repeated breaches can be published online for 6 months. Every new food worker also needs an IfSG certificate from the health office before the first day. This page explains the German rules, what inspectors look for, where businesses go wrong, and how digital records help.

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Every fact below comes from an official source. Food control is a task of the 16 federal states (Länder), so forms and fees differ by place. Where a number comes from guidance (BfR or DIN 10508) and not law, we say so. Where we could not confirm something, we say that too.

## Contents

The law: what every German food business must do
Who inspects you, and how often
No rating, but public warnings
The records inspectors ask for
Where businesses go wrong
By type of business
Why digital records help in Germany
How Chef Hygiene helps
A fair price, on purpose
Less paper
FAQ
Official sources

## 1. The law: what every German food business must do

The main laws. The food and feed code (LFGB), the food hygiene regulation (LMHV), the Infection Protection Act (IfSG), and EU Regulation 852/2004 on food hygiene. The German laws are on gesetze-im-internet.de.
Report your business first. Under Regulation 852/2004 (Article 6) you must tell the competent authority in writing before you start. This is done for each site separately. The authority is the food control office of your district or city. Munich also asks for changes within one month (City of Munich). Forms and fees depend on your Land and city; we could not confirm one national procedure.
A HACCP-based food safety system. You need permanent procedures based on HACCP principles, with records that fit the size of the business (Regulation 852/2004, Article 5). German food hygiene law has no separate HACCP rules. The recognised national guide for restaurants is the DEHOGA good hygiene practice guide; it is sold, not free, and using it is not a legal duty.
Temperatures: law and guidance. German law sets no general fridge number for restaurants. The numbers below mostly come from BfR guidance and the DIN 10508 standard. They are guidance, not law, unless we say "law":
Chilled food and cold dishes: 7°C or colder, aim for 4°C (guidance).
Raw meat, poultry, mince and fresh fish: 2°C or colder when the label says nothing (BfR guidance).
A storage temperature on a product's label always applies.
Frozen food: -18°C or colder (law). A short rise of at most 3°C is allowed in transport and shop freezers (TLMV § 2).
Cooking and reheating: 72°C in the centre for at least 2 minutes (BfR guidance, 2024). No German law sets this number.
Hot holding: the BfR advises 60°C or hotter at every point, and no more than 3 hours (2020). Older DIN 10508 and many local sheets say 65°C.
Cooling: from 65°C to 10°C within 2 hours (DIN 10508 and local food control sheets). EU law only says to cool as quickly as possible.
Staff health certificate (IfSG). Before the first day of food work, every worker needs a certificate from the health office (Gesundheitsamt) or a doctor it commissions. It must be no more than 3 months old at the start. It covers work with listed foods such as meat, milk products, fish, egg products, ice cream, cakes with uncooked fillings, and salads, and work in the kitchens of restaurants and shared-catering places (IfSG § 42, § 43).
Instruction every 2 years. The employer must instruct staff on work bans and the duty to report illness after they start and then every 2 years, and write it down. Keep the certificate and the last instruction record, and show them to the authority on request. Employing someone without the certificate can cost up to €25,000 (RKI).
Hygiene training. Anyone who makes, handles or sells perishable food needs training (LMHV § 4). The law sets no hours, no certificate and no renewal date, but you must prove it on request.
Staff who are ill. Nobody may work with listed foods or in a restaurant kitchen while ill with, or suspected of, typhoid, paratyphoid, cholera, shigellosis, salmonellosis, other infectious gastroenteritis or hepatitis A or E. The same applies to infected wounds or skin diseases that could pass on germs. Staff must tell the employer at once (IfSG §§ 42, 43).
Allergens. For food that is not prepacked, the allergen information must be given before the sale, in German, easy to see and read (LMIDV §§ 2, 4). It can be on a sign near the food, on the menu or price list, on a notice in the shop, or in another written or electronic offer that is easy to reach. Oral information is allowed only if a written or electronic ingredient record exists, the authority (and, on request, the guest) can see it, and a clear notice says the information is oral and a written version can be requested (LMIDV § 4). Some additives must also be named on menus, for example "mit Farbstoff" (LMZDV § 5).
Distance orders. The EU rule (Regulation 1169/2011, Article 14) is information before the purchase and at delivery. We could not confirm a separate German rule.
Fines. Breaches of the allergen rules are administrative offences under LFGB § 60. The fine can reach €100,000, €50,000 or €20,000 depending on the rule broken (LFGB § 60). We could not confirm which level applies to the allergen rules.

## 2. Who inspects you, and how often

Your Land and your local office. Food control is a task of each federal state (Land). In practice the food control office of the district or city (Lebensmittelüberwachung, sometimes the Veterinär- und Lebensmittelüberwachungsamt) inspects restaurants and other food businesses.
The BVL does not inspect restaurants. The federal office BVL only coordinates (BVL).
Risk-based and usually unannounced. Visits are based on risk. As a rule they are not announced.
How often. We could not confirm one national visit schedule, so we do not give one. Ask your local office.
What can happen. The authority can order tests and ban sales until the results come in. EU law also lets it stop all or part of a business's activities. Serious cases can be crimes.

## 3. No rating, but public warnings

No rating. There is no hygiene rating, sticker or duty to display a result in any Land.
Public warnings. When rules that protect consumers' health or hygiene were broken to a not insignificant degree or repeatedly, and a fine of at least €350 is expected, the authority informs the public, naming the business. Breaches of building rules or record-keeping rules that carry no risk to food are not counted. The notice is removed 6 months after publication (LFGB § 40(1a), (4a)) (LFGB § 40).

## 4. The records inspectors ask for

The law asks for records that fit your business. Inspectors usually want to see:

Temperature records for fridges, freezers, hot holding and cooking.
Delivery checks, and who supplied what. Restaurants record suppliers, not their guests.
Staff records: the IfSG certificate and the last 2-yearly instruction record, plus hygiene training. Munich's food control office asks you to write down who was trained, when, on what topics and by whom, at hiring and at least once a year (local guidance).
Allergen information for every dish, in writing or in a written ingredient record.
Your food safety plan (HACCP-based).
Equipment test records: keep them at least until the next test, and for LPG installations for their whole life (BGN guidance).

How long to keep them. German law says only "an appropriate period" (Regulation 852/2004). We could not confirm a fixed number of years.

## 5. Where businesses go wrong

Gaps. Days with no checks written down.
A plan that doesn't match the kitchen. A system on paper that staff do not follow.
No action recorded. A fridge reading above 7°C with nothing written about what was done.
Missing certificates. A new worker starts before they have the IfSG certificate, or the 2-yearly instruction is not written down.
Allergens only by word of mouth. Oral information is allowed only with a written record and a clear notice.
Not reporting a new site. Each site must be reported before you start.

## 6. By type of business

The rules are the same for every food business, but the records you keep depend on what you do.

Restaurant: daily checks, cooking and hot-holding temperatures, cooling, deliveries, cleaning, IfSG certificates, and allergen information for every dish.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant, plus allergen information before the order and at delivery for phone and app orders (EU rule).
Café: fridges and displays, cleaning, and written allergen information for sandwiches, cakes and salads.
Bakery: cakes with uncooked fillings or toppings are on the IfSG list of foods, so staff need the certificate. Keep display temperatures for cream cakes and allergen records for every product. Durable baked goods and sweets packed in the shop for direct sale have a special rule in LMIDV § 4(1), if the customer is informed another way.
Dessert shop: ice cream is on the IfSG list. Keep fridge and freezer temperatures (-18°C) and allergens for toppings and sauces.
Pub / bar / club: the same records as a restaurant for the food you serve, and allergen information for every dish.
Community hall / venue: we could not confirm a rule specific to halls. If you serve food as a business, report to the food control office and keep temperature and cleaning records for each event. Ask your office.
Corner shop: fridge and freezer checks, delivery checks, and allergen information for loose food you sell. Food packed in the shop for self-service must carry full prepacked-style labelling (LMIDV § 4(1)).
School / nursery kitchen: the IfSG certificate rules also cover kitchens of shared-catering places (IfSG § 42). Keep temperature and cleaning records and careful allergen records.
Caterer / food van: food trucks and market stands register where the business has its main seat. Mobile stalls at changing places need a Reisegewerbekarte (Munich food control office). Keep temperatures during transport and at the event, and keep a certified copy of staff certificates with you.
Home kitchen business: we could not confirm a German rule for home kitchens. Ask your food control office before you start.

## 7. Why digital records help in Germany

Accepted in the EU. The European Commission's guidance on HACCP flexibility (notice 2022/C 355/01) supports records in the form that suits the business. We could not find a German page that says the same, so ask your food control office if you are unsure.
Every staff member can take part. Staff can record checks on a phone or tablet, in their own language.

## 8. How Chef Hygiene helps

Chef Hygiene follows the German rules and the BfR and DIN 10508 guidance. What it does:

Daily checks for fridges, freezers, cooking, hot holding, cooling, cleaning and deliveries, with the time, the staff member's name and photos. Saved records cannot be changed; corrections are added as new records.
Your country's rules built in, such as the German temperature numbers.
Food safety plan ("safe methods"). About 20 minutes: answer questions, check each method, sign it, set a review date and print it. Earlier versions are kept.
Ready for inspection? Checks your last 4 weeks of records the way an inspector would and shows how many are ready.
Inspector's visits log. Write down each visit: date, type and officer.
Practice inspection. A free walk round of about 10 minutes, with questions for your type of business, showing the likely result in the German approach (no rating, so a pass-or-fix view), and a "Put it right" list.
Allergen chart, staff view and labels. Every dish against the 14 allergens, a view on the kitchen tablet, and labels with allergens in bold.
Staff training records.
Inspector pack. Print all your records as one pack, or share them by secure link.
40 languages. The app works in German, and staff can use it in their own language.

## 9. A fair price, on purpose

Chef Hygiene costs €2.99 a month per site (€1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops); the exact price is shown in your app store; unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

We keep the price low on purpose. We want as many food businesses as possible, from a single food truck to a busy restaurant, to keep good records and pass their inspections.

## 10. Less paper

A paper diary means printed sheets every day. One daily sheet per kitchen is 365 sheets a year, before you count delivery forms, cleaning rotas and training records. Digital records mean no record books to buy and fewer printed forms to throw away. That is less paper, and nothing to store in a back office.

## 11. FAQ

### Do I legally need food safety records in Germany?

Yes. You need HACCP-based procedures with records that fit your business (Regulation 852/2004, Article 5).

### Who inspects restaurants in Germany?

The food control office of your district or city (Lebensmittelüberwachung). Food control is a task of each Land. The federal office BVL only coordinates.

### Do I have to tell the authority before I open?

Yes. Under Regulation 852/2004 (Article 6) you must report in writing before you start, for each site separately. Ask your local office for its form.

### Is there a hygiene rating in Germany?

No. There is no rating, sticker or duty to display a result in any Land.

### Can a hygiene breach be published?

Yes. For serious or repeated breaches where a fine of at least €350 is expected, the authority names the business online. It is removed after 6 months (LFGB § 40).

### What is the IfSG certificate?

A certificate from the health office (Gesundheitsamt) or a doctor it commissions. New food workers need it before the first day, no more than 3 months old at the start (IfSG § 43).

### How often must I instruct my staff?

After they start and then every 2 years, on work bans and the duty to report illness. You must write it down (IfSG § 43).

### What temperature must my fridge be?

German law sets no general number. Guidance (BfR and DIN 10508) is 7°C or colder for chilled food, with 4°C as the aim.

### What temperature should I cook food to?

BfR guidance (2024): 72°C in the centre for at least 2 minutes. No German law sets this number.

### What temperature must hot food be kept at?

BfR guidance: 60°C or hotter at every point, for no more than 3 hours. Older DIN 10508 and many local sheets say 65°C.

### Do my staff need a food hygiene certificate?

They need the IfSG health office certificate. For hygiene training (LMHV § 4) the law sets no hours or certificate, but you must prove it.

### What allergen information do I need?

For food that is not prepacked: in German, in writing or electronic form, before the sale (LMIDV § 4). Oral information is allowed only with a written record and a clear notice.

### Does the allergen rule apply to phone and app orders?

The EU rule is to give the information before the purchase and at delivery. We could not confirm a separate German rule.

### Can staff work when they are ill?

Not with infectious gastroenteritis, typhoid, hepatitis A or E and similar illnesses, or infected wounds, in a restaurant kitchen or with listed foods (IfSG § 42).

### Do I need to register a food truck or home business?

Food trucks and market stands register at the business's main seat; mobile stalls at changing places need a Reisegewerbekarte. We could not confirm a rule for home kitchens.

### How much does Chef Hygiene cost in Germany?

€2.99 a month per site (€1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops); the exact price is shown in your app store; unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

## 12. Official sources

Chef Hygiene keeps your German food safety records ready for every inspection:

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