Apply for approval as an expert for cross-checks

As part of the official monitoring of foodstuffs and consumer goods in trade, at manufacturers or importers, random samples of foodstuffs, cosmetics, consumer goods and tobacco products are regularly taken to check their marketability.

For official sampling, a part of the sample or a second piece of the same type must be left at the establishment or person to be sampled. This sample is officially closed or sealed.

If you, as a private expert (counter sample expert/counter sample expert), wish to examine such a counter sample and/or second sample on behalf of a company, you require a license for this activity.

• For approval as a cross-check expert, you must submit an application in writing or electronically to the competent authority of the federal state in which your head office is located.
• Please state in the application for which investigation area you are applying for approval.
• Attach the required documents to the application and provide the information requested there.
• The competent authority will grant approval if the requirements for approval are met, there are no grounds for refusal and you have signed a declaration of commitment in accordance with the specimen in Annex 3 to the Crosscheck Ordinance.
• Approval is granted for the requested area of investigation.

Please contact the Thüringer Landesamt für Verbraucherschutz, Dezernat 23 Lebensmittelüberwachung.

You may only be approved as a cross-check expert if you are

• are a state-certified food chemist with a state examination or a state-certified food chemist with a state examination or
• are a licensed veterinarian with a qualification as a specialist veterinarian in the field of investigation applied for approval or a specialist veterinarian for public veterinary services or
• have a university degree in natural sciences and can provide evidence of relevant specialist and legal knowledge in the form of suitable documents. If necessary, you must explain the documents to the competent authority.

An authorization also requires that you

• be able to provide evidence of two years of testing and assessment experience in the area of investigation applied for, taking into account the requirements specified in Annex 1 of the Counter Sampling Ordinance, and
• have a testing laboratory in accordance with § 5 GPV (ISO 17025-accredited) that has the appropriate accreditation for the area of investigation applied for.

Persons with the following reasons for exclusion in accordance with Section 2 (3) GPV will not be admitted:

• not reliable
• Activity in official food, feed and consumer goods monitoring, including testing
• expected conflicts of interest when carrying out the work as a cross-check expert or cross-check expert

• Identity document
• Complete curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Official certificate of good conduct (document type O - for submission to an authority)
• Declaration by the applicant that no criminal proceedings or investigations by the public prosecutor are pending against him/her
• Declaration that there are no grounds for exclusion pursuant to Section 2 (3) GPV and that the activity as a cross-check expert or cross-check expert can be carried out independently and without any conflict of interest
• Proof of qualification:
  • Permission to use the professional title "food chemist" or
  • Certificate of the 2nd state examination or
  • license to practice as a veterinarian with proof of specialty veterinarian or
  • university degree in natural sciences, with proof of relevant specialist and legal knowledge
• Proof of two years of examination and assessment experience in accordance with the attached "Instructions" with the requirements for the professional examination and assessment of counter or duplicate samples (Annex 1 to Section 2 (1) GPV)
• If the company does not have its own office, confirmation from the owner that the samples may be tested on its premises and that the testing of the counter-samples can be carried out independently of instructions.
• If approval for microbiological tests is applied for: the permit in accordance with the Infection Protection Act
• Proof of accreditation (certificate and register) of the laboratory in which the samples are to be analyzed (DAkkS)
• Submission of the declaration of commitment (Annex 3 to Section 3 (5) GPV)

Fee: EUR 150,00 - 900,00

https://landesrecht.thueringen.de/bsth/document/jlr-SozMinVwKostOTHrahmen

The application for approval as a cross-checking expert must be submitted in good time before the first activity.

After approval has been granted, you must notify the competent authority immediately of any changes that affect your approval.

The period begins with the receipt of the complete documents. It may be reasonably extended once if this is justified by the difficulty of the matter. An extension of the deadline must be justified. You will be notified in good time before the original deadline expires. If no decision is made on the application within the 3-month deadline or the extended deadline, the admission is deemed to have been granted.

In the event of a review of the professional qualification in accordance with Section 4 (2) GPV, the result of the review will be communicated within two months of receipt of the aforementioned notification and the complete documentation.

You have the right to appeal against the decision on your application or against a decision that was not made on time in accordance with the Administrative Court Regulations (objection, if necessary, legal action before the Administrative Court).

The application is submitted informally.

The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) publishes a list of cross-checking experts approved in Germany on its website. The list is updated regularly. The federal states provide the relevant data.

Thuringian State Office for Consumer Protection

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Thuringian Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Labor and Family (TMSGAF)

27.08.2025

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.