Microbiological criteria in national legislation

The regulation framework initiated in Spain, which was mainly developed in the 1980s, included a number of microbiological criteria much stricter than those in Commission Regulation (EC) no 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological for foodstuffs. These national criteria had lost their effectiveness either fully or in part, as they had not adapted to internationally approved principles, nor were they based on a formal hazard identification. With national criteria and EU rules both in place at once, food business operators were confused over which ones to apply.

Therefore, Royal Decree 135/2010, 12 February, was published, repealing provisions on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. This provided legal security to food businesses, while maintaining high levels of public health protection through compliance with community regulations.