In the first six months of 2019, 75% of the sanctions imposed correspond to the fruit and vegetable sector. Since its creation, the Agency has imposed 1735 sanctions.
The Food Information and Control Agency (AICA), of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has carried out during the first half of 2019 controls on almost 800 commercial relations between operators of the food chain, as a result of the ex-officio inspections carried out under the General Surveillance Plan.
53% of controlled commercial operations have been concentrated in the fruit and vegetable sector, 21% in the dairy sector and 12% in the meat sector.
In addition to the ex officio actions, AICA acts upon complaints received. Of these, 50% have been made on the fruit and vegetable sector, ahead of complaints received from the dairy sector (29%). However, since the beginning of the activity of AICA, the dairy sector accumulates the largest number of complaints received (40%).
The Agency's activity data shows that non-compliance with payment deadlines accounts for 68% of the fines imposed during these first six months. Point out that 75% of the sanctions correspond to the fruit and vegetable sector.
Since the beginning of its activity, AICA has imposed 1735 sanctions. Of these, 53% correspond to the distribution while the industry concentrates 38% and the producer sector 9%.
AICA's work
The Food Information and Control Agency carries out constant inspection work in all sectors and all the agents involved in the commercial relations of the value chain. In addition, it deals with the processing of files, investigation of complaints and proposed sanctions.
AICA is an autonomous body, attached to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, created through the Law 12/2013, of August 2, of measures to improve the functioning of the food chain, with the objective of controlling its compliance with regard to commercial relations between operators.
The control activity exercised by the Agency is carried out when it receives a complaint for breaches of the Law of the Food Chain, and through ex officio inspections. AICA initiates and instructs the corresponding sanctioning procedure in case of detecting any breach.
In addition, AICA is entrusted with the management and maintenance of the information and control systems of the markets in the olive sector and in the wine sector.
Since 2016, AICA has been competent in the official control of operators under the Denominations of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) of supra-autonomous scope. Specifically, the mission of AICA is to verify compliance with the requirements established in the specifications of the PDO Jabugo, Calasparra Rice and Cordero Segureño, and the PGI Los Beyos and Carne de Ávila.