BfR Commission for the Assessment of Intoxications

The BfR Commission for the Assessment of Intoxications has the task of supporting and optimising the national monitoring system for incidents involving chemical substances and products. This involves identifying the causes and circumstances of incidents, identifying trends and risks at an early stage, rendering these causes and circumstances transparent, and protecting consumers, in particular children. In English and French speaking countries, the term used to describe this type of monitoring is toxicovigilance or toxicosurveillance. It is an important part of consumer protection by the state in Germany too.

Tasks of the BfR Commission

The commission has the tasks of identifying, improving the documentation on, and assessing health impairments caused by products, substances and other noxae pursuant to Art. 16 e of the German Chemicals Act and the provisions of European chemical law (REACH).

The Commission for the Assessment of Intoxications works closely with the eight German Poison Information Centres and the corresponding national and international scientific establishments and institutes. The exchange of expertise and information with relevant organisations in Austria and Switzerland is one of the main objectives of the work of the commission.