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Exploratory control with verifications and advice
Published on 03 April 2020
Spain
Cataluña
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
This practice was implemented with the aim of having extensive information on the scenario of existing food companies in the territory and, at the same time, advise companies so that they can correct mistakes before receiving a more intensive control visit.
This purposes are achieved by making more agile control visits than inspections with official statement and sampling.
Objectives:
• To inform and advise the company on regulations (SMEs often do not have the resources to keep up)
• To categorize food companies based on risk of fraud and non-compliance. Evaluation of risk elements (activity, own checks, traceability, etc.)
The practice is implemented with systematic and global non repressive controls, without official inspection report (Questionnaire, check template)
Aspects of quality, traceability, labelling, raw materials and processes are controlled. The irregularities found are notified the same day of the visit, so that the companies can correct them, without entering into an administrative sanctioning process.
The main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the practice are mainly SMEs, who are most in need of advice.
This purposes are achieved by making more agile control visits than inspections with official statement and sampling.
Objectives:
• To inform and advise the company on regulations (SMEs often do not have the resources to keep up)
• To categorize food companies based on risk of fraud and non-compliance. Evaluation of risk elements (activity, own checks, traceability, etc.)
The practice is implemented with systematic and global non repressive controls, without official inspection report (Questionnaire, check template)
Aspects of quality, traceability, labelling, raw materials and processes are controlled. The irregularities found are notified the same day of the visit, so that the companies can correct them, without entering into an administrative sanctioning process.
The main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the practice are mainly SMEs, who are most in need of advice.
Expert opinion
The exploratory control provides an agile and free quality audit for companies. Companies are advised on regulations which they might not be aware of. This raises the standards in the local food sector. The advice provided might help companies to improve their processes and avoid expensive mistakes. If companies comply to rules and they do not get invasive controls or sanctions, then they become more competitive.
This practice is a good example of how the public sector can identify issues to be tackled on sectoral level. Instead of punishments for failing to meet regulations, support is provided to understand them and to fix shortcomings. This way of working closely with the companies is beneficial for the market as well as food safety.
This practice is a good example of how the public sector can identify issues to be tackled on sectoral level. Instead of punishments for failing to meet regulations, support is provided to understand them and to fix shortcomings. This way of working closely with the companies is beneficial for the market as well as food safety.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
Human resources required: team of agri-food inspectors
Evidence of success
Since the practice was implemented, more than 2.000 exploratory control visits have been made. It has been verified that the majority of companies visited have corrected their irregularities without the need to initiate a sanctioning process.
This practice has also been useful to broaden the basis used in the risk analysis, which is therefore more complete.
This practice has also been useful to broaden the basis used in the risk analysis, which is therefore more complete.
Potential for learning or transfer
This is a really interesting tool as a complement to official controls. The importance of carrying out these controls lies in achieving greater proximity with companies in the agri-food sector. During exploratory controls you can investigate and collect a lot of information about each company visited, products it makes, labelling checks, the traceability system, production and ingredients, etc. All this information collected is used to prepare a risk analysis in which each company visited is scored based on the estimation of the risk that it may suffer or commit some kind of food fraud.
In addition, it also serves to have more information about each company and find out improvements implemented or detect problems in the food chain.
Another objective of the exploratory controls is to advise agri-food companies on the conformity of the actions they carry out, as well as inform them of the regulations and offer them training documents for their knowledge.
In addition, it also serves to have more information about each company and find out improvements implemented or detect problems in the food chain.
Another objective of the exploratory controls is to advise agri-food companies on the conformity of the actions they carry out, as well as inform them of the regulations and offer them training documents for their knowledge.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Regional Government of Cataluña
Spain
Cataluña
Contact
Agrifood inspector