Spain - New regulation for Cider
Cider and other apple derivate drinks were regulated by Orden de 1 de Agosto de 1979. As far as this Order has been modified on several occasions, the last one by Real Decreto 176/2013, and due to the emergence of technological innovations, the evolution of markets and the modification of consumer expectations, it has been necessary to update the national legislation, by publishing the new Real Decreto 72/2017 related to the quality requirements for cider.
The aim of that legislation is to establish the basic quality standards to manufacture and commercialize the different categories of natural cider and cider.
There are new categories defined for these different products and the old category of product “manzanada” disappears.
Within that regulation we can find the permitted and forbidden practices for theses three specific categories of products and the characteristic that the final product must comply with.
Concerning the labeling of those products, they must comply with all national and European regulations applicable and they must include the legal denomination established for each one. Moreover there is some voluntary information that can be included on the label.
It is important to remark that the analytical methods to confirm the products comply with the requirement established within the R.D. 72/2017 must follow the ones established by the European Cider Makers Association (AICV), the Organización Internacional de la Viña y el Vino (OIV) and other methods provided by national or international recognised organisms.
Other methods shall be admitted provided that the accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility of the results are at least equivalent to those obtained by the methods of analysis collected by the above-mentioned organisms.
