We are your accredited* partner for food safety

Food safety is an extremely complex and diverse field of activity. It ranges from food production and food contact materials to correct labeling on packaging. If you want to make food marketable in Austria or for export, you must precisely comply with a large number of legal regulations. For example, the extensive and very strict Food Safety and Consumer Protection Act (LMSVG). We can assist you with this demanding task at the highest professional level.

With proven expertise, our food safety business unit offers the following benefits in many areas of the food industry, food retailing, catering, canteens and other communal catering:

• accredited* testing body according to EN 17025
• accredited* inspection body according to EN 17020
• modern state-of-the-art equipment for all areas of food testing
• highly qualified food assessors
• individual, comprehensive and also preventive oriented advice
• personal support and advice by our experts - also on site
• Certificates of conformity in a fast way

*The conformity assessment bodies are accredited according to Annex 1 of the valid General Terms and Conditions (www.ages.at) by Accreditation Austria (Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy) for the areas listed and published in the notice.

Food labeling inspection

As part of the food labeling inspection, we clarify compliance with food labeling regulations and the correct labeling of your products. We conduct a thorough assessment and issue a test report with expert opinion.

Our offer

Our experienced and independent experts check the labeling of your food products in accordance with EC Regulation No. 1169/2011 with regard to the compulsory information on correct formal aspects, product group-specific regulations (compulsory indication of origin, horizontal aspects such as frozen food regulations, pre-packaging regulations, storage conditions, etc.) and simple claims (lactose-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, etc.). In a comprehensive audit, extended claims and advertising claims (nutrition claims, health claims, "free from" claims, designations of origin, deception protection, VEGAN society, etc.) are assessed for their correctness in accordance with the EU Health Claims Regulation (EC Regulation No. 1924/2006). Finally, you will receive an AGES test report with expert opinion.

We can cover the following areas as part of a food labeling audit:

• Examination of mandatory information
• Extensive labeling audit on claims and advertising statements
• Submission of samples or simple transmission of labels or label/packaging drafts
• Suggestions for improvement with possibility of adaptation and discussion
• AGES test report with expert opinion

Assessment of the marketability of food

As part of the marketability assessment, we clarify your exact requirements in a detailed consultation. Based on this, we prepare a marketability assessment and confirm the fitness for human consumption of your foodstuffs.

Our offer

The Food Safety and Consumer Protection Act (LMSVG) obliges food companies to place only marketable goods on the market. Our experts advise you on the required scope of analysis prior to marketability testing. We offer testing of all necessary chemical and microbiological parameters and evaluate the tests performed. If desired, or in the case of open goods, the labeling test can be omitted. After a positive conclusion you will receive a marketability certificate.

We can cover the following areas within the scope of a marketability test:

• Product-related advice on analytics
• Execution of high quality examinations
• Evaluation of the tests carried out
• Expert opinion
• AGES test report with expert opinion

As an aid for food law questions

According to the customer's request, we carry out analyses for special questions. We also offer analyses of individual parameters, methods or method groups, such as "pesticides" or "hygiene". Analysis results are evaluated in accordance with legal requirements (limit values, guideline values, etc.) and you receive an AGES test report with expert opinion in line with the commissioned investigation.

Our offer

The Food Safety and Consumer Protection Act (LMSVG) obliges food companies to place only flawless goods on the market. In order to ensure this during ongoing production, appropriate tests are often necessary, whereby often only individual parameters, methods or method groups, such as "pesticides" or "hygiene" may be required. We offer the testing of all necessary chemical and microbiological parameters and evaluate the analysis results for you in accordance with the legal requirements (limit values, guide values, etc.).

We can cover the following areas within the scope of a limited examination with assessment by AGES:

• Clarification of the possible/necessary scope of examination in a detailed consultation meeting
• Execution of examinations in high quality
• Evaluation of the investigations carried out or the documents submitted (e.g. test reports)
• Expert opinion
• AGES test report with expert opinion

Issue of export certificates

Before issuing export certificates, we clarify your exact requirements in a detailed consultation. Based on this, we prepare an expert opinion in accordance with food law, which you can submit to the Federal Office of Consumer Health for the issuance of an export certificate (Health Certificate).

Our offer

For the export of your goods you need a relevant expert opinion, which must meet fixed requirements and can be issued by us. Our experienced experts will examine your goods (e.g. for fitness for human consumption) or check already existing documents. After a positive conclusion, you will receive a tailor-made certificate that meets the requirements of the country of destination of your products. If you require an official certificate, you can submit this expert opinion to the Federal Office of Consumer Health.

We can cover the following areas as part of an export inspection:

• Product-related advice on analysis and/or document review
• Analysis of the sample including issuance of a corresponding test report
• Performance of high quality examinations
• Evaluation of the test results and/or the submitted documents
• Issue of export certificates, health certificates, certificates of free sale, etc. in German or English language

EU regulation-compliant sampling for agricultural and process contaminants

Prior to sampling, we clarify your exact needs in a detailed consultation, for example the control of the content of agricultural contaminants such as mycotoxins or process contaminants such as heavy metals, and based on this we carry out sampling and subsequently, if desired, an analysis and, if required, an expert opinion.

Our offer

Our experts offer you a sampling according to the regulations of Regulation (EC) No. 401/2006 or Regulation (EC) No. 333/2007. On request, we clarify the analysis conditions in advance (e.g. type of material, batch sizes, parameters, type and scope of sample relations, legal background, performance of the analysis) and check the environmental conditions (cleanliness, temperature, packaging, etc.). Subsequently, the analysis for agricultural contaminants or process contaminants is carried out according to your needs. Finally, you will receive a sampling protocol and a test report. If desired, we can also provide you with an expert opinion.

We can cover the following areas within the scope of on-site sampling:

• Detailed consultation to determine your needs
• On-site inspection with examination of the environmental conditions
• Sampling according to Regulation (EC) No. 401/2006 (e.g. for mycotoxins)
• Sampling according to Regulation (EC) No. 333/2007 (e.g. for heavy metals)
• Issue of a sampling protocol
• On request: execution of high quality tests and issuing of a test report
• On request: issuing of an expert opinion

For the professional control of your nutritional information

In a detailed consultation, we clarify the focal points, desired contents and the scope of the nutrition information to be controlled or created. You receive comprehensibly prepared quality-assured nutrition information or professionally controlled nutrition texts.

Our offer

Consumers need correct nutrition information. Our experts create customized texts for videos, brochures, websites, etc. with information on nutritional issues based on current scientific findings. Your target group thus receives comprehensible and reliable nutritional information. Furthermore, we offer the professional control of already existing nutrition texts.

We can cover the following areas in the control of nutritional information:

• Creation of target group specific nutrition information
• Integration of current scientific findings
• Professional quality control and proofreading of nutrition information

Strategy, process and result evaluation in the field of nutrition.

As part of the evaluation of prevention measures, we clarify your exact need for review, for example, the effectiveness of individual measures, in a detailed consultation and, based on this, carry out a thorough evaluation with a final report.

Our offer

External funding agencies require the effectiveness of preventive measures (nutrition projects, health promotion programs, optimization of services, etc.) to be verified. Our multi-professional team from the fields of nutrition, social science and statistics (extensive experience in health promotion, nutrition survey and reporting) reviews the effectiveness of individual measures using a combination of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods (online surveys, focus groups, qualitative interviews, etc.). We identify facilitating and hindering factors for the implementation of measures, accompany the process and provide regular feedback. At the end of the project, you will receive a professional final report as well as the results presentation for the annual reporting.

We can cover the following areas as part of the evaluation of prevention measures:

• Monitoring by a multi-professional team
• Review of the effectiveness of the measures implemented
• Combination of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods
• Identification of facilitating and hindering factors for the implementation of measures
• Process monitoring and regular feedback (telephone conferences, workshops)
• Provision of results for annual reporting and e.g. to funding agencies
• Professional final report

For food, drinking water and cosmetics

In the context of risk assessment or risk minimization, we clarify your exact assessment needs in a detailed consultation. We carry out a thorough assessment (with toxicological expertise if required) and prepare recommendations to reduce the health risk.

Our offer

For many chemical substances there are no legal limits (maximum levels, maximum residue levels (MRLs), etc.). Therefore, our experienced experts perform a detailed risk assessment including hazard description, exposure assessment and risk characterization and, if required, prepare a toxicological report. Not only public clients require risk assessments for the fulfillment of their tasks, but also manufacturers and distributors are responsible for the safety of their products (food, drinking water and cosmetics).

We can cover the following areas within the scope of a risk assessment or risk minimization:

• Detailed consultation
• Preparation of a well-founded health risk assessment
• Detailed hazard characterization
• Preparation of a well-founded health exposure assessment
• Preparation of a well-founded health risk characterization
• If requested: Preparation of recommendations for risk management

Inspection body according to EN ISO/IEC 17020 (Id.Nr.: 0371)

We carry out inspections or monitoring of food companies incl. food law expertises (LMSVG):

• Hygiene inspection according to Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004
• Inspection for fitness for human consumption
• Inspection of the operational self-control

Our offer:

• Documentary inspection
• On-site inspection incl. hygiene audit
• Sampling (food, swab samples, swab samples)
• Issue of an inspection report
• Issue of an inspection report incl. expert opinion (samples)

Additional services

Health certificates can be issued at any time (for all goods included in the scope of monitoring) Note: Health certificates can also be issued on request outside of a monitoring order; however, the prerequisite for this is a corresponding examination of the suitability for human consumption of the product for which the certificate is required. Hygiene audits can also be carried out on request outside of a surveillance order. Further information on accreditation and the scope of accreditation: Accreditation Austria.

New comprehensive antibiotic screening for food products.

Antibiotics are regularly used in animal husbandry. This can also lead to antibiotic residues in edible products such as meat. Early detection of these residues supports consumer protection in industrial food processing.

Our solution approach

A new powerful analytical screening method allows the analysis of a wide range of antibiotics in meat. It can test for the presence of residues of 74 antibiotics from 10 antibiotic families in a single analysis. In case of a positive screening result, the further procedure (if necessary, final safeguarding) has to be clarified with your AGES contact person.

Our offer

• Analysis of meat from pigs, cattle, poultry, horses, sheep, game and fish
• Analysis of 74 antibiotics from 10 antibiotic families (tetracyclines, sulfonamides, quinolones, ß-lactams, macrolides, aminoglycosides, lincosamides, pleuromutilins, amphenicols and colistin)

Your benefit

• Sensitive method
• Cost-effective method
• Results available quickly
• Advice on further selective testing in case of positive result

Biological immission measurements

Inspection body according to EN ISO/IEC 17020 (Id. No.: 0371). Further information on accreditation and scope of accreditation: Accreditation Austria

Methods (Inspection methods)

• Active biomonitoring according to VDI 3957 sheet 2 (immission measurements with standardized grass culture) and according to VDI 3857 sheet 2 (assessment values for immission-related substance accumulation in standardized grass cultures)
• Passive biomonitoring according to VDI 3957 sheet 1, 3, 5, 10, 11 (immission measurements using plants, such as meadow grass, tree leaves, kale, corn plants, etc.)

Application (examples)

Various EIA procedures, monitoring of plants (preservation of evidence regarding emissions), immission controls after a harmful event, etc.

Additional services

Expert opinion and customer consulting

Scope of investigation

• (Harmful) elements especially heavy metals
• Organic pollutants (e.g. PAH, PCB, HCB, PCDD/F)