Belehrung nach dem Infektionsschutzgesetz; Bescheinigung

If you are working or being employed in the food sector for the first time, you will need a certificate from the public health department confirming that you have been instructed in infection protection.

Do you produce food, handle it or place it on the market? Do you come into direct or indirect contact with these foods (via utensils such as plates or cutlery)? Would you like to work or become active in kitchens in restaurants, canteens and cafés or in communal catering facilities?

Then you need a certificate from the public health department that is no more than 3 months old. This proves that you have successfully completed an instruction course on infection protection measures.

The aim of the instruction is to enable you to recognize your own symptoms of infectious diseases or those of your employees at an early stage. You should also be able to prevent the spread and contamination of food and assess when you should no longer carry out your work if you have certain symptoms.

The certificate is issued either by the public health department or by a doctor appointed by the public health department.

• You are working commercially for the first time or are employed in the manufacture, treatment or placing on the market of foodstuffs during which you come into contact with them.
• There are no indications that you have an infectious disease (e.g. salmonellosis, shigellosis).

You must make an appointment with your local health authority for the instruction. After the instruction, you must declare in writing that you are not aware of any facts that would prohibit you from working. You will then receive a certificate of attendance.

If there is a suspicion that you cannot obtain the certificate, for example in the case of a food-borne illness, you will only receive the certificate once a doctor has ruled out the suspicion of illness on the basis of an examination.

You may only take up work in the area of food preparation, food sales or catering if you have the certificate. This certificate must not be older than three months when you first start working.

Please bear in mind that, depending on the situation (e.g. a pandemic, vacation periods or times with an increased work and illness volume, such as flu epidemics), appointments can only be allocated by the public health department after a waiting period.

A specific form of instruction is not prescribed by the IfSG.

After the instruction, it must be declared in text form that there are no known facts for a prohibition of activity.

If there are indications that there are reasons for an impediment to working in the food sector, the certificate may only be issued if a medical certificate proves that the relevant impediment no longer exists.

• for first-time commercial activities or employment with direct or indirect food contact (production, treatment and sale), instruction must be provided by the public health department
• Instruction takes place and a certificate is issued
• Aim of the instruction:
  • to recognize and avoid infectious diseases,
  • the prevention of food contamination
  • Knowing when an activity may no longer be carried out in the specified areas
• Responsible: local health authority or doctor appointed by the health authority

The local health authority

Many health authorities offer at least parts of this instruction online.