Consumers have the right to enjoy safe and healthy food. However, consumer confidence in the ability of manufactu­rers and supervisory authorities to maintain the required safety standards has been severely compromised in the past by a number of scandals.

This business area is concerned with the exam­i­nation and assessment of food, feed and commodi­ties in the context of national and international legal standards as well as related expert opinions. One of our main activities is the development of innovative detec­tion procedures for food and feed analysis. The objective is to improve or complement existing detection methods, thus ensuring high-quality standards and safety levels for the consumer. Examples include the system we developed to distinguish animal species in food, and rapid gas sensors to ensure food production quality.

This expertise is an important contribution to food chain management. The IME, together with its partners in the Fraunhofer Food Chain Management Alliance FCM, is able to provide com­prehensive solutions in this area for all stakeholders in the food chain.