Zoonoses monitoring in the food chain extended until 2029

The Federal Government has amended the General Administrative Regulation on Zoonoses in the Food Chain (AVV Zoonosen Lebensmittelkette) for the sixth time and extended the nationwide monitoring program for zoonoses and zoonotic agents by three years. The Sixth General Administrative Regulation amending the AVV Zoonosen Lebensmittelkette dated August 25, 2026, was announced on Thursday, September 3, 2026, in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) under the official reference BAnz AT 03.09.2026 B2 and will enter into force on January 1, 2027.

The administrative regulation serves the nationwide uniform implementation of the observation of zoonoses and zoonotic agents in accordance with Directive 2003/99/EC. It is addressed to the food monitoring authorities of the states (Länder), the veterinary offices, and the meat industry, and continues the examination and reporting procedures for the next three years.

Extension of the Monitoring Period

The core of the amendment is the extension of the monitoring period: the entry “2024 to 2026” in § 4 of the AVV is replaced by “2027 to 2029”. Consequently, the annual nationwide zoonoses monitoring in the food chain remains mandatory for another three years.

• The new monitoring period runs from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2029.
• The states remain responsible for carrying out the examinations.
• The results will be incorporated into the reporting to the European Union.

Updated Trichinella Monitoring

New regulations have been established for the monitoring of Trichinella in susceptible free-living animals. This will henceforth take place within the framework of a monitoring program according to Article 11 in conjunction with Annex I Chapter I or Chapter II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1375 on official examinations of meat for Trichinella.

This aligns the national regulation with the EU legal situation as most recently amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/506 of March 19, 2025. The examination of free-living animals for Trichinella is of particular importance for protecting consumers from trichinellosis.

Sampling Plans and Sample Volume

In § 6, the procedure for submitting zoonoses sampling plans is further specified. Proposals may be submitted by:

• the states (Länder),
• the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Homeland,
• the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health,
• the Robert Koch Institute.

Proposals must be submitted in writing or electronically to the Federal Office and the Federal Institute. At the same time, the sample volume is clarified: it includes samples from food monitoring, from the implementation of the annual nationwide monitoring plan, and from the European Union programs coordinated according to Article 112 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625.

Entry into Force and Signature

The administrative regulation was issued pursuant to Article 84 Paragraph 2 and Article 86 Sentence 1 of the Basic Law; the Bundesrat has given its consent. It was signed in Berlin on August 25, 2026, by Chancellor Merz and the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Food and Homeland A. Rainer. The Federal Ministry may publish the wording of the AVV in the version applicable from January 1, 2027, in the Federal Gazette.

For the food monitoring authorities and the meat industry, the extension means planning security: the examination, sampling, and reporting obligations remain unchanged beyond 2026, while trichinella monitoring for free-living animals will be adapted to the current EU standard.

Source: Bundesanzeiger, BAnz AT 03.09.2026 B2, Thursday, September 3, 2026, pp. 1–2 (official reference: BAnz AT 03.09.2026 B2).