Food Legislation
Code: 103236Credits: 3
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Food Science and Technology | OB | 4 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Eduard Grau Noguer
- Email :
- eduard.grau@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Eduard Grau Noguer
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
Although there are no official prerequisites, it is advisable for students to review the knowledge acquired in the following subjects:
- Food Safety Management and Public Health (3rd year)
- Hygiene and Self-Control Systems (3rd year)
Objectives
The course of Food Legislation is a transversal and fundamental subject that aims to ensure that the student is able to know and understand the legal framework, apply and develop the normative principles of food law and the specific regulations that regulate the agri-food sector from primary production to the consumer.
General objective:
To Identify, analyse and understand the legislative system applicable to the production and marketing of food at the Spanish, European Union and international levels.
Specific objectives:
- to provide to the students with the adequate knowledge about the main bodies and their functions, in the legislative and technical field, which are framed at the Spanish, European Union and international levels.
- provide to the students with the adequate knowledge about the legislative process in the European Union in the field of food safety and nutrition.
- to train the students on the purpose of harmonising food legislation:
- consumer protection;
- establish equal food production and marketing practices at the European Union and international levels;
- guarantee good professional practices, including professional ethics, and;
- publish and disseminate the law of the matter of this course.
Learning outcomes
- Search for, manage and interpret information from different sources.
- Communicate effectively with both professional and non-professional audiences, orally and in writing, in the first language and/or in English.
- Adopt an ethical stance and attach importance to quality in work.
- Show sensitivity to environmental, sanitary and social issues.
- Describe the scientific sources of the law governing the agrofood business and comply with its principles.
- Explain and provide a basis for the historical mechanisms of codes of conduct, legislation and civil responsibility in accordance with the cultures and degree of development of each country.
- Adopt an approach that is holistic and respectful of legal provisions when applying the technical knowledge acquired.
- Recognise and explain the factors that influence the degree of compliance with legislation.
- Issue expert reports taking into account existing legislation.
- Evaluate legislation in several different countries and write the reports on these.
- Recognise the risks of failure to comply with the law.
- Explain the profession's ethical principles.
- Carry out technical surveys based on scientific, legal and ethical data.
- Use legal terminology correctly.
- Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
Contents
This course is divided into the following two blocks: (1) Law introduction and (2) Food legislation. The content of each block is detailed below:
Unit 1.- Presentation of the course
(1) Law introduction
Unit 2.- What it means to be a State. What is 'the Law'. What is the Public Administration and which are its different types
Unit 3.- The legal system. The constitution, laws and regulatory norms
Unit 4.- Administrative decisions. Resources and administrative control
Unit 5.- The public function
Unit 6.- Administration, the citizen and the company from a legal point of view.
(2) Food legislation
Unit 7.- Food law at international level
Unit 8.- Introduction to the law at European Union level
Unit 9.- Food law at the European Union level
Unit 10.- Distribution of competences among the main bodies involved in food safety in the Spanish State
Unit 11.- Ethics and ethics in professional practice and ethical principles
Unit 12.- Areas of professional responsibility
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expert speaker conference | 2 | 0.08 | 11, 12, 14 |
| Seminars | 8 | 0.32 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14 |
| Preparation of practical cases and and exercises for the continuing evaluation | 15 | 0.6 | 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 |
| Self Learning | 24 | 0.96 | 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 |
| Lectures | 16 | 0.64 | 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 |
| Seminars- tutorials | 8 | 0.32 | 2, 8, 14 |
The teaching methodology of the subject is mixed, as detailed below:
In-person (26 hours):
- Master and inverse class sessions (16 hours). These sessions will consist of expository classes, where the fundamental concepts of the content of the course will be explained. Of the total hours of the master classes, 4 hours will be allocated to the first block and 12 hours to the second.
- Seminar sessions (8 hours). These sessions will consist of working, analysis, presentation and discussion sessions of tasks carried out during these sessions.
- Conferences (2 hours). Throughout the course there will be two conferences (in-person or online) by invited people, experts in the subject of this course.
Self-directed study:
- Self-learning activities: students must carry out different tasks independently that will contribute to the preparation of the course from material provided by the teaching personnel of this course. These are tasks that imply the additional investigation of information by the students on one or various issues, and that must be submitted and defended
orally.
For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searching, proofreading, or translations. The student must clearly identify which parts were generated with this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these influenced the process and the final result of the activity. Lack of transparency in the use of AI in assessable activities will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in a partial or total penalty in the activity grade, or greater sanctions in serious cases.
The documentation of the subject, class presentations, working document, etc., will be available to the students on the Virtual Campus (http://cv.uab.cat) andin the specific case of the theory presentations of the master class sessions, they will be accessible after each session in order for the students to exercise the ability to take notes on the most important aspects.
In addition, one hour of resolution of doubts will be scheduled prior to the examination. Attendance at this activity is voluntary.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPL tasks and course attendance | 35% | 0 | 0 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 |
| Examination: Lntroduction to Law and Food legislation | 25% Introduction to Law; 40% Food legislation | 2 | 0.08 | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 |
Acknowledging that this course does not contemplate any form of unique assessment system, the student assessment will be carried out as detailed below:
1.- Theoretical tests (theoretical examination) (65.0 %)
1.1.- Test 1: Introduction to law (25.0 %)
1.2.- Test 2: Food Legislation (40.0 %)
2.- Self-learning tasks (25.0 %)
2.1.- Written tasks (15.0 %)
2.2.- Oral presentation (5.0 %)
2.3.- Participation in discussions (5.0 %)
3.- Attendance to theoretical classes, seminars and conferences (10.0 %)
Students will pass the course when they pass both theoretical exams with at least 5.0/10.0 and their overall mark for the course represents at least 50 % of the total assessment. In the case of not passing some of the theoretical tests, the students will have the possibility of making a recovery of this exam, respecting the weight of each one.
A student will be considered not evaluable when her/his participation in the assessment activities is less than or equal to 15 % of the final mark.
Bibliography
(1) Law introduction
Vicente, E. Elementos de derecho público. (2014). Octava edición. Tecnos.
Gamero, E. & Fernández, S. (2024). Manual básico de Derecho Administrativo. Vigésima primera edición. Tecnos.
(2) Food legislation
Abbott, K., & Sindal, D. (2000). Hard and Soft Law in International Governance. The MIT Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2601340
Pronto, AN. (2015). Understanding the Hard/Soft Distinction in International Law. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law. https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1204&context=vjtl
World Trade Organization. (1995). Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. https://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/15-sps.pdf
Kotwal, V. (2016). Codex Alimentarius Commission: Role in International Food Standards Setting. In Encyclopedia of Food and Health (pp. 197–205). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-384947-2.00397-4
Chiti, M. (2002). Derecho Administrativo europeo. Primera edición. Tratados Manuales.
European Union. Consolidated Version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. (2025). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=legissum%3A4301854
European Commission. (1997). Green Paper on European food law. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_97_370
European Commission. (2000). White Paper on food safety. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:51999DC0719
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety, Official Journal of the European Communities (L31). http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2002:031:0001:0024:EN:PDF
Regulation (EU) No 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, L 95 Official Journal of the European Union (L95). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32017R0625&from=ES
Web
Codex Alimentarius standards. https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/list-standards/en/
European Union. EUR-Lex Access to European Union Law. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html?locale=en
Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado. https://www.boe.es/
Butlletí Oficial del Parlament de Catalunya. https://www.parlament.cat/web/documentacio/publicacions/butlleti-bopc/index.html
Software
There are no programs for this subject
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |