New appointment of BfR commissions
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has 14 independent commissions in the areas of food, feed, chemical and product safety and laboratory animal welfare. These commissions act as an independent body of experts to advise the institute. Each commission consists of at least ten experts from universities and other research institutions, federal and state authorities, consumer and trade associations, private laboratories and the industry, and are appointed for a term of four-years via an open tender and application procedure. For the sixth term from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2029, the BfR is looking for scientists from the fields of biochemistry and food chemistry, human and veterinary medicine, toxicology, pharmacology, statistics, communication science as well as sociology or psychology who would like to contribute their expertise to advising the BfR through voluntary commission work. The institute expressly welcomes applications from suitable young scientists. “The commissions are an essential part of the BfR's independent advisory service. Thanks to the expertise of such a network, our institute can always draw on the latest scientific and research knowledge in the event of unresolved issues or crises,” says Professor Andreas Hensel, President of the BfR.
The results of the commission's advisory work are addressed to the BfR and are solely of a recommendatory nature. The members are obliged to maintain confidentiality towards third parties and to fulfil their advisory task impartially. Conflicts of interest are transparently enquired about and disclosed at the beginning of each meeting. If there are conflicts of interest in relation to the topics discussed by the committee, the committee member concerned is excluded from the discussions on the respective topic. The working language of the commissions is German (except for the commission “Tattoo Inks”, which works in English).
The new BfR commissions to be appointed are
- Consumer Products
- Assessment of Intoxications
- Bf3R (advises the German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals at the BfR)
- Biological Hazards and Hygiene (In 2018 the BfR Commission for Biological Hazards and the BfR Commission for Hygiene merged to the BfR Commission for Biological Hazards and Hygiene)
- Nutrition, Dietetic Products, Novel Foods and Allergies
- Evidence-Based Methods in Risk Assessment (up to 2017: BfR Commission for Exposure Assessment and Exposure Standardisation)
- Feed and Animal Nutrition
- Genetically Modified Food and Feed
- Contaminants in the Food Chain (up to 2017: BfR Commission for Contaminants and Other Undesirable Substances in the Food Chain)
- Cosmetics
- Pesticides and Biocidal Products (up to 2017: BfR Commission for Pesticides and their Residues)
- Risk Research and Risk Perception
- Tattoo Inks
- Wine and Fruit Juice Analyses
The BfR commissions are appointed by an external appointment committee. This is made up of the members of the Scientific Advisory Board of the BfR, the chairs of the Senate Commissions on the Health Evaluation of Food (SKLM) and the Max Rubner Institute (MRI) as well as a representative of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
Further information on the BfR commissions and the appointment procedure: https://www.bfr.bund.de/de/bfr_kommissionen-311.html
To apply online (application deadline is 31 March 2025): https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/343/aufruf-zur-interessenbekundung-fuer-die-mitgliedschaft-in-den-bfr-kommissionen-2026-2029.pdf
About the BfR
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany. The BfR advises the Federal Government and the States (‘Laender’) on questions of food, chemicals and product safety. The BfR conducts independent research on topics that are closely linked to its assessment tasks.