Label rules › Germany

Germany label requirements for packaging

Germany is in the European Union, so the label of a prepackaged food sold there follows Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers — in German, the Lebensmittelinformationsverordnung or LMIV — which applies directly in every member state. National rules add to it: the Lebensmittelinformations-Durchführungsverordnung (LMIDV), the Fertigpackungsverordnung for the net quantity, and the Verpackungsgesetz (VerpackG) for the packaging itself. Food on the market is inspected by the Lebensmittelüberwachung of the federal states (Länder). Here is what holds in November 2026, and how German packs are laid out.

Checked: 6 November 2026

Mandatory items

Food: the LMIV, Regulation (EU) 1169/2011

Article 9 lists what every prepackaged food states: the name; the list of ingredients; the allergens; the quantity of certain ingredients; the net quantity; the date of minimum durability or the use-by date; special storage conditions and conditions of use; the name and address of the food business operator; the country or place of origin where needed; instructions for use where needed; the alcoholic strength above 1.2 % vol; and the nutrition declaration. The lot comes from Directive 2011/91/EU (in Germany the Los-Kennzeichnungs-Verordnung), usually after the letter «L».

The ingredients follow a heading with the word «Zutaten», in descending order of weight. The 14 allergens of Annex II are set apart in the list by type — bold, capitals, a colour — and, where there is no list, follow the word «Enthält» (Article 21).

Article 13 and Annex IV: the mandatory text has an x-height of at least 1.2 mm; on packs whose largest surface is under 80 cm², at least 0.9 mm. The name, the net quantity and the alcoholic strength stand in the same field of vision.

German on the pack: the LMIDV

Article 15 of the LMIV lets each member state ask for the mandatory particulars in its own languages, and Germany’s LMIDV does: food sold in Germany gives them in German. Other languages may stand beside the German — packs for the whole DACH region, or for several EU countries, are common — provided the German is complete and easy to read. An imported food is given a German label or sticker before it is sold.

The LMIDV also covers food sold loose or packed at the counter: the allergens must be made known there too, in writing or, under its conditions, by word of mouth. That concerns menus, counter signs and bakery bags as much as packs.

Net quantity: the Fertigpackungsverordnung

Prepacked goods state their nominal quantity in grams, kilograms, millilitres or litres. The Fertigpackungsverordnung, which carries the EU rules on prepackages (Directive 76/211/EEC), sets a minimum height for these figures by the size of the pack — in that directive 2 mm up to 50 g, 3 mm up to 200 g, 4 mm up to 1 kg and 6 mm above. Check the heights in the current text of the Fertigpackungsverordnung before printing.

The ℮ next to the quantity says the pack is filled to the EU average-quantity system; where it is used, it stands in the same field of vision as the quantity and is at least 3 mm high.

Dates and nutrition

Article 24 and Annex X: the date of minimum durability reads «mindestens haltbar bis …» followed by the day and month, or «mindestens haltbar bis Ende …» when only the month and year or the year is given, depending on how long the food keeps; very perishable food reads «zu verbrauchen bis …», followed by the storage conditions. Frozen meat, meat preparations and unprocessed fish also give the date of freezing («eingefroren am …»).

Articles 30–35 and Annex XV: energy (kJ and kcal), fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt — in German Energie, Fett, davon gesättigte Fettsäuren, Kohlenhydrate, davon Zucker, Eiweiß, Salz — per 100 g or 100 ml, in a table where space allows, in one field of vision; values per portion may be added. Packs whose largest surface is under 25 cm², and the foods of Annex V (unprocessed single-ingredient products, herbs and spices, salt, water, tea and coffee, among others), are exempt.

Nutri-Score is voluntary in Germany. A brand that uses it registers first and uses the official artwork, never a redrawn one.

German specialities and organic

Some German names are protected geographical indications (g.g.A.): Nürnberger Lebkuchen, Lübecker Marzipan, Dresdner Christstollen and Aachener Printen among them — favourites for Christmas packs. Only products made to their specification may use the name, and the pack may carry the EU symbol. Use the official symbol files.

Organic food carries the EU organic logo and the code of the control body (in Germany «DE-ÖKO-» and three digits); the German Bio-Siegel may be added beside it.

The packaging itself: the Verpackungsgesetz

Before packaging filled with goods is first placed on the German market, the company that does so — the brand or the importer, not the print shop — registers in LUCID, the register of the Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (ZSVR). Without registration the packaging may not be sold, and online marketplaces check it. Packaging that typically ends up with private consumers, shipping cartons included, also needs a contract with a dual system (system participation), and the quantities are reported to both.

Germany prescribes no sorting mark on the pack; the material codes (such as «PAP 20» or «PP 5») and disposal hints are voluntary. Single-use drink bottles and cans under the deposit rules are marked as «pfandpflichtig» — in practice with the DPG deposit mark. Drink cups made partly of plastic carry the EU marking of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2151.

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 applies from 12 August 2026; its harmonised sorting labels follow in later years. Check the current state with the ZSVR before printing a large run.

Packaging meant to touch food follows Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004: the words «für Lebensmittelkontakt» or the glass-and-fork symbol, unless the use is obvious. Plastics follow Regulation (EU) No 10/2011.

Laying it out in Drint

1. Drint has no Germany label kit yet and does not check these rules. Lay the label on the back panel with Insert → Product label or text blocks.
2. Paste the client’s German text as it is — Drint does not translate. Set the allergens in bold.
3. Insert → Nutrition table → Table (France / EU) builds the seven rows of Article 30 per 100 g; type the German row names the client sent.
4. Keep the mandatory text at an x-height of 1.2 mm or more (0.9 mm on packs under 80 cm²): with most typefaces that means about 6 to 7 pt or larger. German words run long — leave room for compounds such as «Aufbewahrungshinweis» rather than shrinking the type.
5. Check in Export still finds text near the cut, small text, low-resolution pictures and ink problems.

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Lay out the label in Drint

Questions

A summary written to design packs, not legal advice. Before printing, check the current texts of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on EUR-Lex and of the LMIDV, the Fertigpackungsverordnung and the Verpackungsgesetz on gesetze-im-internet.de, and the label with your client or the food authority of the state.