Informe del Comité Científico de la Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (AESAN) sobre la clasificación de los establecimientos alimentarios en base al riesgo en el marco del Plan Nacional de Control Oficial de la Cadena Alimentaria (PNCOCA) 2021-2025

Abstract

The National Plan for the Official Control of the Food Chain (PNCOCA) 2021-2025 lists the directives for conducting risk-based inspections in accordance with current European legislation. In this regard, AESAN (Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition) and the autonomous communities have drawn up a “Guidance Document for the Risk-Based Classification of Food Establishments Within the Framework of PNCOCA 2021-2025” whose main objective is to establish a common system for the risk-based assessment and classification of food establishments, setting certain basic criteria of risks, as well as its objective assessment in accordance with standardised criteria. Based on this Guidance Document, the AESAN Scientific Committee has drafted an assessment report including various recommendations, especially regarding risk criteria, risk assessment and the risk-based classification of establishments. The Scientific Committee concludes that the Guidance Document for the risk-based classification of food establishments within the framework of the PNCOCA 2021-2025 is currently suitable for the intended purpose. Nevertheless, the guidance document must be periodically updated considering the experience of its application, scientific progress, legislative changes and new directives, and tools for the risk-based prioritisation of inspection frequency which may be developed at the national or European Union level. Overall, the criteria used to establish the risk-based classification of food establishments in the Guidance Document are deemed to be accurate. Other criteria have been suggested for consideration such as the adherence of each establishment to the self-monitoring system and good hygiene and handling practices or correct training of the establishment’s employees. Among other issues, a pilot study is recommended in order to detect potential difficulties that may lead to the modification of the selected criteria.