Guide
Private label supplements in Germany
Germany asks for one notice per product before the first sale, plus a business registration and a German label. Here is what the brand owner files, where, and when.
BVL
Notice per product and flavour
Free
Online notice
German
Label language
300
Jars per product, capsules and tablets
01At a glance
The numbers.
| Product notification | BVL, per product and flavour, by the first sale |
|---|---|
| Business registration | With the local food control authority, before trading |
| Label language | German |
| Responsible for the label | The business the product is sold under |
| Capsules and tablets | From 300 jars per product |
| Powders | From 100 kg per powder, 4 to 6 weeks |
| Payment | Upfront by bank transfer |
Updated
02Filing
What you file and where
Each food supplement is notified to the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) at the latest when it first goes on sale. The notice is an online form and is free.
The notice includes a sample of the label. Each flavour is a separate notice. Pack sizes can go in one notice.
The BVL confirms receipt. It does not approve or test the product, so the label still has to be right.
The business also registers with the local food control authority where it is based, before it starts trading.
If your business is based in another country, it usually registers there, and your importer or distributor in Germany registers with its local food control authority.
03Label
Your label
The label is in German. The business whose name is on the pack is responsible for what it says. A brand based outside the EU needs an EU importer.
Powders sold as ordinary food, such as a protein powder, follow the general food label rules and need no BVL notice. Products sold as food supplements also need the items below.
- The word "Nahrungsergänzungsmittel"
- The names of the nutrients or substances in the product
- The recommended daily portion
- A warning not to exceed the recommended daily amount
- A statement that food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet
- A statement to store the product out of reach of young children
- The amount of each nutrient per daily portion, and % of the reference value for vitamins and minerals
04Our part
What we do
Your products are made by specialist producers. We draft the German label to the rules of your market and send you a mock-up.
You check it and file the BVL notice with that label. Nothing goes to print until you approve it.
05Timing
Timing
Register the business before you start trading. File the BVL notice before or on the day of the first sale. The product can go on sale once the notice is filed.
A late, missing or incomplete notice is an administrative offence and can be fined, so build it into your launch plan.
06How it works
Five steps to your own product.
- STEP 01
Send your logo and website
Tell us the format and roughly how much you want. Your logo and your website are the brief.
- STEP 02
See it on the real pack
We send a mock-up of your label on the real pack, so you see the product before anything is made.
- STEP 03
Samples, then your order
You check samples first. When you are happy with them, you place your order.
- STEP 04
Pay upfront
Our ready drink and stock formats are paid upfront by bank transfer.
- STEP 05
We label, pack and ship
We label, pack and ship your products under your brand.
07What we need from you
Send us this.
- Your logo, as a vector file if you have one.
- Your website or social page, so the label matches your brand.
- The format and flavour you have in mind.
- The quantity you want to start with.
- The countries where you will sell.
08Questions
The short answers.
Who files the BVL notice?
The law names the manufacturer or importer. For a private label product the brand owner, as the business placing it on the market, often files it. Agree this in writing with your supplier.
Is there a fee?
No. The BVL online notification is free.
Does the BVL approve my product?
No. It records the notice and passes it to the state food authorities. The business stays responsible for the product and the label.
Do I notify each flavour?
Yes. Each product and each flavour is a separate notice. Different pack sizes of the same product can share one.
Already notified in another EU country?
You still notify the BVL. If the other country requires a notification, the notice names the authority you notified there.
Contact
Tell us what you want to make.
Send your logo, your website and the format. We reply with the next step.