Consumer Information Act

The Consumer Information Act (VIG), which entered into force on May 1, 2008, and was amended effective September 1, 2012, provides consumers with a legal right to access information held by the authorities regarding products covered by the Food and Feed Code and consumer products covered by the Product Safety Act. This means that, upon request to the competent authority, you can obtain available information about food, feed, consumer goods, cosmetics, or wine, as well as consumer products such as kitchen appliances, consumer electronics, furniture, toys, or home improvement supplies. Your

right to receive information includes data on:

1. Deviations from the requirements of food, feed, and product safety laws;
2. Hazards or risks to consumers posed by goods or consumer products;
3. The composition of products, their nature, and their physical, chemical, and biological properties—including their interactions and effects on the body—taking into account both their intended use and foreseeable misuse,
4. Labeling, origin, nature, use, manufacture, and handling of goods or consumer products;
5. Permitted deviations from the provisions of food, feed, and product safety law regarding the characteristics or activities referred to in items 3 and 4,
6. Raw materials and the processes used to extract them;
7. Supervisory measures or other official activities or measures related to consumer protection, as well as statistics on identified violations listed below.

The Consumer Information Center of Hesse provides helpful information for consumers.

• State of Hesse Consumer Portal