The Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency (AESAN), an autonomous body dependent on the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, was created in 2001 to ensure the highest level of food safety, as a fundamental aspect of public health, and to promote the health of citizens; as well as to generate confidence among citizens in the food consumed and to provide them with the necessary information to be able to choose.

In 2006, it added the promotion of health through nutrition and, above all, through the prevention of obesity to its functions.

The food chain is a cycle that begins with the primary production process and ends with the consumption of the products. The best way to avoid food-related hazards is to consider the food chain as a whole.

General objectives

• Reduce the risk of diseases transmitted or conveyed by food.
• Ensure the effectiveness of food control systems and promote a production sector that sees food safety as a competitive strategy.
• Promote the consumption of healthy foods by promoting accessibility and information.
• Guarantee that consumers and economic agents in the Spanish food sector receive objective information.

Specific objectives

• Promote the collaboration and coordination of public authorities responsible for food safety and nutrition. With this in view, AESAN is working closely with the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality; Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness; as well as with the Autonomous Regions.
• Plan, coordinate and develop strategies and actions that generate health-related information, education and awareness in the field of nutrition and, above all, related to the prevention of obesity.
• Promote the cooperation between the public Administrations and other related sectors, including the production sector through Producers' and Distributors' Associations, consumers through Consumer Associations, as well as Professional Associations.
• Act as focal point at national level in food risk assessment and in the management and communication of the said hazards, especially in crises or emergency situations.

Scope of action

• The safety of food intended for human consumption, including nutrition and quality issues with a bearing on health.
• The safety of the food chain, covering all stages.
• Aspects related to animal and plant health that have a direct or indirect impact on food safety.
• Any other aspect assigned in the light of scientific progress and new social demands.

Functions

• Coordinate activities directly or indirectly related to food safety and nutrition.
• Encourage executive actions and regulations, from the relevant authorities, especially in crises or emergency situations.
• Coordinate existing early warning networks in the field of food safety.
• Advise on the planning and development of food policies.
• Provide technical advice and develop technical reports, in coordination with the Scientific Committee, and make them public.
• Represent Spain in matters of food safety and nutrition discussed in the EU and other international organisations, especially before the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Health Organisation (WHO), the Codex Alimentarius and the European Council.
• Operate as a point of contact between the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other national food safety authorities, research institutes, consumers and other stakeholders.

With this in view, AESAN, in accordance with the most widely accepted international guidelines, bases its actions on Food Risk Analyses, based on:

• scientific assessments based on quality and independence.
• management by the relevant authorities.
• transparent information.

AESAN values

• Consumer priority. Decisions based on the interests of consumers, above all other interests.
• Create and maintain a reputation of the organisation's expertise and excellence in matters relating to food safety.
• Achieve a leading position in Europe, through the implementation of risk analysis policies that ensure the credibility, independence and transparency of the Agency's actions.
• Employ multidisciplinary professionals of the highest standards and skills.
• Decision making based on the best scientific evidence; fast, flexible and in collaboration with scientific institutions governed by quality assurance standards and systems.
• Independent from interests beyond the representative and accountable protection of health.
• Transparency, subject to rigorous public scrutiny. Institutional coordination and collaboration in the pursuit of greater efficiency and effectiveness.
• Reconcile the interests of stakeholders, facilitating the harmonisation of actions and interests.
• Continuous improvement as a criterion governing the management of the organisation.

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