Advancing towards the digitalisation of official food safety control in Spain in the retail sector

Digital technologies offer opportunities to transform the way we conduct official food safety control, shaping a future that increases its value through greater effectiveness, consistency and transparency. Traditionally, the data collection during inspections has been paper-based. However, we do not know to what extent control authorities already use a digital environment during inspections. Considering the benefits of using such an environment, this study aims to assess the use of a digital environment during on-site inspections in the retail sector in Spain. A survey was administered among regional and municipal authorities. A total of 26 authorities responded to the survey, 34.6% of which use a digital environment. Of these, the main reason for the use of such an environment was the standardisation of data collection during inspections. The most frequently mentioned result was the reduction of paperwork. The automatic generation of inspection reports based on templates was the most indicated process carried out through such an environment. Of the authorities that do not use a digital environment (65.4%), the reasons for not using such an environment most indicated were technological limitations, lack of budget and specialised staff. The results show that authorities mostly do not use a digital environment during inspections, but there is significant interest in using it. There are still opportunities to harness the potential of technology and drive change to protect health equally at the national level.