Spain is a gourmet prevalence country, such as the Spanish seafood rice, potato cake, Iberian ham, etc. each of these is mouthwatering. Which departments and agencies are responsible for supervising these foods, what is the basis for supervision, and how are they supervised? According to the information released by the official website of Spain, Foodmate summarized the overview of the Spanish food regulation and give technical guidance to enterprises exporting to Spain.


Food in Spain is mainly supervised by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare (MSCBS), and Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN).

I. Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA)

MAPA is mainly responsible for the proposal and implementation of agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery, agricultural products, rural development and food policies. It has legislative powers on related matters. Its responsibilities range widely. The big responsibilities are like formulating major national policies, contacting and cooperating with relevant EU departments such as formulating rural development policies and forestry policies, and being responsible for the EU’s common agricultural policy; the small responsibilities are like the cultivation of crops and the management of agricultural production materials. For example, the farm uncle's cultivation of fruits and vegetables, as well as the required chemical fertilizers and pesticides, are all within the supervision of this department.

MAPA has three departments, namely the General Secretariat of Agriculture and Food, the General Secretariat of Fisheries, and the Deputy Secretariat of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The General Secretariat of Agriculture and Food is mainly responsible for the coordination of multiple relationships among the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Rural Development Policy, Forestry Policy, Irrigation Policy and Agricultural Food Policy framework, innovation in agriculture, food and forestry, rural environment and food system. The General Secretariat of Fisheries is mainly responsible for planning and implementing marine fisheries policies, managing and coordinating common funds related to fisheries and aquaculture, and commercialization and transformation of fishery products. The Deputy Secretariat of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is mainly responsible for technology, analysis and coordination and statistics, international relations, etc.

II. Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare (MSCBS)

MSCBS is responsible for proposing and implementing policies on health, medical care and consumption to ensure that citizens enjoy the right to health.

The responsibilities of MSCBS related to food also include the management and supervision of product quality and safety and the market, mainly including the formulation of annual control plans and sampling inspections, such as labeling and other aspects.

Its subsidiary Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) is an important agency responsible for food supervision.

In addition, the subordinate associations of MSCBS, such as the Consumer Association and the Safety Technical Committee, will also provide news, suggestions, and warnings to protect consumer rights.

III. Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN)

1. The background and main responsibilities of AESAN

On July 5, 2001, Law 11/2001 "Establishment of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety " mentioned the background of the establishment of the Agency. In response to the requirements of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 on food safety and the proposal of the European Commission’s White Paper on Food Safety, which mentioned in the article that member states should set up institutions similar to the EU Food Safety Agency to form a plan for cooperation and information exchange, the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition was established. The Agency integrates all the elements that promote food safety and production into a specialized agency to better manage the food safety of the entire production, processing, sales and consumption chain.

AESAN is mainly responsible for promoting food safety and providing information and early warning, risk management and risk assessment, food and company health registration, planning and coordination, formulating strategies and actions, publishing information in the field of nutrition, and educating the public and health publicity, especially in the prevention of obesity.

2. Food alert Network

To ensure that the food provided to consumers is safe, Spain has established an alert network to track food safety incidents. AESAN is the contact point of the Food alert Network. The network systems responsible for monitoring mainly include the Coordinated System for the Rapid Exchange of Information (SCIRI), the EU Rapid alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) managed by WTO and FAO. The monitoring scope mainly includes the early warning of general food, allergen food, and health food.

The above content is mainly for the introduction of the Spanish central level institutions. In addition to the central food safety regulatory agency, local governments have also played an important role in ensuring local food safety supervision, such as issuing local food safety supervision regulations.

The above is an overview of Spanish food safety supervision departments and institutions. Through the strict control of these departments and institutions, food safety in Spain can be guaranteed. So, what is the legal basis for supervision and how is it supervised? Foodmate will introduce to you in next two parts.

---

Please feel free to contact us: +86 10 68869850, E-mail: global_info@foodmate.net