Selling Supplements in Spain: AESAN and Labelling Guide

In Spain, food supplements are regulated under Royal Decree 1487/2009 (vitamins and minerals) and related legislation. The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) oversees compliance. Spain requires notification to AESAN's Registro General Sanitario de Empresas Alimentarias y Alimentos (RGSEAA) for companies placing supplements on the Spanish market. Products not meeting Spanish or EU requirements may be notified to the SCIRI (Rapid Alert System) for food.

Labels must be in Spanish (Castilian) as the primary language. Regional languages (Catalan, Basque, Galician) are optional but can help in those regions. Required elements: product name, net quantity, ingredient list (descending weight), allergen declarations, best before date, storage conditions, recommended daily intake, 'No superar la dosis diaria recomendada' (Do not exceed the recommended daily dose), 'Mantener fuera del alcance de los niños' (Keep out of reach of children), name and address of the food business operator or importer established in Spain/EU.

Spain follows EU Regulation 1924/2006 for health and nutrition claims. Spanish enforcement is moderately active — AESAN and regional authorities can issue warnings and fines for unauthorised claims. The most common violation is using disease risk reduction claims without proper EU authorisation. Ensure all Spanish Amazon.es listings and e-commerce copy comply with EU-authorised claim language.

• Pharmacies (Farmacias): ~22,000 pharmacies in Spain. Major supplement retail destination. Premium and therapeutic supplements sold here.
• Parafarmacia / Dermofarmacia: Para-pharmacy counters in supermarkets (Mercadona, Carrefour). Growing channel.
• Herbolarios (health food stores): Traditional herbal supplement channel. Several regional chains.
• El Corte Inglés (Sport and Nutrition section): Department store chain with supplement offering.
• Amazon.es: Growing online channel. Third-largest European Amazon marketplace.
• Decathlon Spain: Major sports nutrition retailer for sports-focused brands.

The Spanish pharmaceutical distribution network handles most pharmacy-channel supplements. Key national distributors: Bidafarma, Cofares, Alliance Healthcare España, and Hefame. These companies supply most of Spain's pharmacies. For health food and specialty channels, independent regional distributors operate across Spain. Note that Spain has significant regional complexity — Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Andalusia have distinct retail networks and buying cultures.