Organic certification in catering: control numbers, labels and how to verify an organic caterer in Germany

A caterer in Germany may only market food, ingredients or an organic share as „Bio“ or „Öko“ if it is inspected by a state-approved organic control body and holds a valid certificate. For catering, canteens and restaurants, the rules are set out in the Bio-Außer-Haus-Verpflegung-Verordnung (Bio-AHVV), in force since 5 October 2023. In practice you check three things: the certificate itself, the control body code in the format DE-ÖKO-xxx, and whether the certificate is valid and covers what you are being offered.

The legal framework

„Bio“ and „Öko“ are protected terms across the EU. For caterers in Germany, several layers apply:

Rule	Scope	Key point
Regulation (EU) 2018/848	Farming, processing, trade, imports	EU organic rules, applicable since 1 January 2022. Mass catering is excluded and left to national rules.
Öko-Landbaugesetz (ÖLG)	Germany	National implementation and control system
Bio-AHVV	Out-of-home catering: caterers, canteens, restaurants	Organic labelling of ingredients and dishes, organic share logo (gold, silver, bronze), inspections, event certificate
Öko-Kennzeichengesetz	Germany	The voluntary state Bio-Siegel (hexagon)

Buying organic produce is not enough. The caterer needs its own certificate, and its control body also checks that suppliers are certified.

When does a caterer need certification?

Certification is required as soon as the business advertises organic food, whether on a menu, a quote, a website or a buffet sign. The Bio-AHVV covers three types of claim:

1. Individual ingredients, such as organic potatoes.
2. Dishes or products labelled as organic.
3. The organic share of total food purchases, shown with the official logo (Section 8 Bio-AHVV): bronze for 20 to 49 %, silver for 50 to 89 %, gold for 90 to 100 %.

Certified businesses are inspected at least once a year, and follow-up inspections are usually unannounced (Section 13). Daycare centres and schools cooking for their own use have a limited exemption for ingredient labelling, but not for the organic share logo.

For large events there is a dedicated event certificate (Section 14) for events of up to two months, registered at least four weeks in advance.

Reading the control number

Part	Meaning
DE	Country code for Germany
ÖKO	Organic farming
001, 006, 039 …	Three-digit number of the control body

The number identifies the control body, not the caterer. Germany has several private control bodies, approved by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), which assigns the codes, and supervised by the federal states. The certificate itself names the business, its address, the control body, the scope and the validity period.

Which labels you may see

Label	Issued by	Meaning
EU organic logo	EU, mandatory on pre-packed EU organic food	At least 95 % of agricultural ingredients organic
Bio-Siegel (hexagon)	Germany, voluntary	Same standard as the EU logo; in food service only linked to specific ingredients
Bio-AHV logo gold, silver, bronze	Germany, Bio-AHVV	Organic share of the business’s total food purchases, not of a single dish
Association labels (Bioland, Naturland, Demeter)	Private farming associations	Own standards, stricter than EU law in many areas

A gold-rated caterer spends at least 90 % of its food budget on organic products. A bronze-rated caterer can still offer a fully organic menu. More on the logo in canteens: organic food in canteens.

Checklist for verifying an organic caterer

• Ask for the current certificate. Reputable caterers send it readily.
• Make sure it is issued to the business that will actually deliver your event.
• Check the validity period.
• Read the scope: ingredients, dishes or an organic share, and which level.
• Ask for the organic components to be listed in the quote.
• Put the organic commitment in writing in the order confirmation.
• If in doubt, contact the control body named on the certificate.

More questions to ask before you sign are in our caterer checklist.

Organic catering for a single event

Most organic caterers are certified year-round, so an event certificate is rarely needed for a wedding or company party. It matters mainly for festivals, trade fairs or pop-up formats run by businesses that are not otherwise certified. If a caterer tells you it will „get certified for your event“, ask which control body handles the registration and make sure the four-week deadline can be met.

Common misunderstandings

„Natural“ or „regional“ are not organic. „Regional“ is not legally protected and says nothing about farming methods, see regional catering. The organic share logo describes the business over a year, not your specific menu. And a caterer buying from an organic wholesaler still may not advertise organic food without its own certificate.

What does organic cost?

As a guide value in our cost model, an organic share of around 30 % adds roughly 10 to 15 % per person, a fully organic menu roughly 20 to 35 %. Vegetarian or vegan menus can offset part of this. Typical ranges by menu type are in organic catering costs, and certified providers are listed in our caterer directory.