Is there a test for the German Gesundheitszeugnis?

There is no national exam. The health office briefs you on illnesses and duties and you sign a declaration. Some online versions, such as Cologne's, end with a short check of eight questions.

How long is the § 43 IfSG certificate valid?

It must be no older than 3 months when you start your first food job. After that it is valid for life, also if you change employer.

Can I do the briefing in English?

It depends on the health office. Berlin holds it in German and asks people to bring an interpreter. Some online briefings let you choose a language. Check with your local Gesundheitsamt.

How much does the briefing cost?

Fees are set locally. On the official pages checked in October 2026, Berlin charged €30 for a group briefing and Cologne €25.

What happens if I get sick after I start work?

If you have symptoms such as repeated diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, yellow skin or an infected wound, tell your supervisor at once, do not handle food, and see a doctor.

Germany Food Hygiene Briefing Knowledge Quiz 2026

Pytanie 1 z 20

What is the briefing under § 43 of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG)?

A blood test done every year
A course in restaurant management
A health office briefing on illnesses and duties for people who will work with food
A written cooking exam at a vocational school

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: C. A health office briefing on illnesses and duties for people who will work with food

Before you first work with certain foods, the health office (Gesundheitsamt) or a doctor it appoints must brief you and give you a certificate.

Pytanie 2 z 20

Who issues the certificate (Bescheinigung) after the § 43 IfSG briefing?

The local health office (Gesundheitsamt) or a doctor commissioned by it
The police
The chamber of commerce
Your employer

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: A. The local health office (Gesundheitsamt) or a doctor commissioned by it

Only the Gesundheitsamt or a doctor it has commissioned can issue the certificate.

Pytanie 3 z 20

How old may the certificate be on your first working day with food?

No more than 2 years
No more than 3 months
Any age; it has no time limit at all
No more than 1 week

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: B. No more than 3 months

The certificate must not be older than three months when you first start the work.

Pytanie 4 z 20

You started a food job within 3 months of your briefing. How long is the certificate valid after that?

For 1 year
For life, even if you change jobs
Only for that one employer
For 2 years, then you need a new one

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: B. For life, even if you change jobs

Once you started in time, the certificate stays valid for life, also after a job change or a long break.

Pytanie 5 z 20

What do many people still call the § 43 IfSG certificate in everyday speech?

Führerschein
Hygienepass B
Meisterbrief
Gesundheitszeugnis (health certificate)

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: D. Gesundheitszeugnis (health certificate)

Cologne's official page calls it the Bescheinigung-Belehrung, formerly known as the Gesundheitszeugnis.

Pytanie 6 z 20

Is there a medical examination as part of the normal § 43 IfSG briefing?

Yes, a full medical check-up
Yes, a stool test for everyone
Yes, a chest X-ray
No, it is a briefing plus a written declaration that you know of no reason that bars you

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: D. No, it is a briefing plus a written declaration that you know of no reason that bars you

You are briefed and then declare in writing that you know of no facts that would bar you. A doctor's certificate is only needed if there are signs of a problem.

Pytanie 7 z 20

Is there an exam at the end of the § 43 IfSG briefing?

Yes, an oral exam with a doctor
Yes, a practical cooking test
Yes, a 60-question written exam everywhere
No national exam; some online briefings add a short comprehension check

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: D. No national exam; some online briefings add a short comprehension check

The law requires a briefing and a declaration, not an exam. Cologne's online version, for example, ends with an eight-question check you can retake.

Pytanie 8 z 20

In Berlin, in which language is the in-person § 43 briefing held?

In the language of your choice, with a free interpreter
Always in English
In sign language only
German; people who need help should bring an interpreter

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: D. German; people who need help should bring an interpreter

Berlin's service page says the briefing is in German and people without enough German should bring someone to interpret.

Pytanie 9 z 20

Which job needs the § 43 IfSG certificate?

Selling closed bottles of water only
Preparing or selling unpackaged meat, dairy, fish or ice cream, or working in a restaurant kitchen
Working in a clothes shop
Driving a taxi

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: B. Preparing or selling unpackaged meat, dairy, fish or ice cream, or working in a restaurant kitchen

The rule covers people handling listed high-risk foods, and people working in kitchens of restaurants and canteens.

Pytanie 10 z 20

Which of these food groups is listed in § 42 IfSG as high-risk?

Bottled mineral water
Dry pasta
Raw coffee beans
Egg products

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: D. Egg products

§ 42 lists meat, milk products, fish and seafood, egg products, baby food, ice cream and bakery goods with unbaked fillings, among others.

Pytanie 11 z 20

A cake has a cream filling that was not baked or heated. Is it a high-risk food under § 42 IfSG?

Only if it is sold frozen
Only if it contains alcohol
Yes, bakery goods with unbaked or unheated fillings are listed
No, all cakes are low-risk

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: C. Yes, bakery goods with unbaked or unheated fillings are listed

Bakery products with a filling or topping that is not fully baked or heated are on the list.

Pytanie 12 z 20

Does a dishwasher in a canteen kitchen need the briefing?

No, only cooks need it
Only if they also serve food
Yes, work in restaurant and canteen kitchens is covered, including washing up
Only if the canteen is in a hospital

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: C. Yes, work in restaurant and canteen kitchens is covered, including washing up

The health office notice lists kitchen staff in restaurants and communal catering, including dishwashing and cleaning staff.

Pytanie 13 z 20

Which illness bars you from working with these foods under § 42 IfSG?

A sprained ankle
Salmonellosis or another infectious gastroenteritis
Short-sightedness
Hay fever

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: B. Salmonellosis or another infectious gastroenteritis

§ 42 lists typhoid, paratyphoid, cholera, shigellosis, salmonellosis, other infectious gastroenteritis, and hepatitis A or E.

Pytanie 14 z 20

Which type of viral hepatitis is named in § 42 IfSG as a reason you may not work with food?

Hepatitis A or E
Hepatitis C only
None; hepatitis is not mentioned
Hepatitis B only

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: A. Hepatitis A or E

Hepatitis A and E spread through food and water, so § 42 bars people with them from food work.

Pytanie 15 z 20

What does the official briefing sheet count as diarrhoea that bars you from food work?

One loose stool in a week
Only diarrhoea that lasts over a month
Any stomach noise
Three or more loose stools in 24 hours

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: D. Three or more loose stools in 24 hours

The Belehrungsbogen describes infectious diarrhoea as at least three loose stools in 24 hours, possibly with nausea, vomiting or fever.

Pytanie 16 z 20

From what body temperature does the official briefing sheet count fever as a warning sign?

36.5 °C or higher
41 °C or higher
37.0 °C or higher
38.5 °C or higher

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: D. 38.5 °C or higher

The sheet lists fever of 38.5 °C or more among the symptoms that may point to an illness that bars you from food work.

Pytanie 17 z 20

Which symptom may point to hepatitis A or E?

A blocked nose
Itchy scalp
Sore muscles after sport
Yellowing of the skin and eyes

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: D. Yellowing of the skin and eyes

Weakness, loss of appetite and yellow skin and eyes are typical signs of hepatitis A or E.

Pytanie 18 z 20

A cut on your hand is red, swollen, weeping and has a greasy coating. What does this mean for food work?

You may work if you rinse it once
Nothing, as long as you work quickly
It may be an infected wound, which bars you from handling the listed foods
You only need to wear a ring over it

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: C. It may be an infected wound, which bars you from handling the listed foods

§ 42 bars people with infected wounds or skin diseases that could pass germs into food. Warning signs are redness, swelling, weeping and a greasy coating.

Pytanie 19 z 20

A stool test shows salmonella, but you feel completely well. May you work with these foods?

No, excreting salmonella bars you even without symptoms
Yes, if you wear gloves
Yes, after taking a painkiller
Yes, because you have no symptoms

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: A. No, excreting salmonella bars you even without symptoms

§ 42 also bars people who excrete salmonella, shigella, EHEC or cholera bacteria, even if they feel well.

Pytanie 20 z 20

You get repeated diarrhoea and vomiting while working in a kitchen. What must you do?

Tell your supervisor at once and see a doctor, saying that you work with food
Switch to working in the cold store
Take a day off without telling anyone why
Keep working but wash your hands more often

Pokaż odpowiedź

Odpowiedź: A. Tell your supervisor at once and see a doctor, saying that you work with food

§ 43 requires you to tell your employer straight away. Tell the doctor about your food job so they can advise you.

Germany Food Hygiene Briefing Knowledge Quiz 2026

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