On 4 February, around 40 heads of food safety from the principal food distribution chains across the world visited Mercabarna.

These big chains are members of CIES (The Food Business Forum), an international business platform for the food sector which involves major distributors such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Auchan, El Corte Inglés, Mercadona, Shangai City Supermarket, etc. as well as key manufacturers, such as Coca-Cola, Barilla, Danone, etc.

Taking advantage of their participation in the International CIES Conference on Food Safety held in Barcelona at the beginning of February, this group visited Mercabarna with the objective of getting to know the health and hygiene controls that are followed at this food site.

During the visit, the delegation saw the procedures in food safety that take place in the Central Fruit and Vegetable Market and in Torribas, the company that produces, handles and packs potatoes.

At the end of the visit, Júlia Durán, Director of the Barcelona Public Health Agency, and Montserrat Ramoneda, Head of the Veterinary Team at Mercabarna, held a conference for the delegates, at which they explained the health and hygiene procedures and controls that are carried out in the different facilities in the precinct.