Raw Milk in Spain: Leche Cruda, the National Framework, and the Catalan Exception

Raw milk is leche cruda in Spanish, literally “raw milk,” and also leche sin pasteurizar (unpasteurized milk). In Spain, the regulatory status of raw milk sold directly to consumers has shifted significantly over the past decade. The national framework and the rules that apply in Catalonia specifically differ in one critical respect: automated vending machines.

The National Framework

Spain operates within EU Regulation 853/2004, which permits member states to restrict or authorize raw milk for direct human consumption under Article 10(8). Spain’s current national instrument, Real Decreto 1086/2020 of December 9, 2020, established specific requirements for raw milk direct consumer sales across the country. Under this framework, raw milk for direct sale to consumers must:

• Come from an authorized establishment registered in Spain’s General Health Registry of Food Companies and Foods (Registro General Sanitario de Empresas Alimentarias y Alimentos)
• Meet defined microbiological criteria
• Be presented in packaging at the point of sale; bulk dispensing from automated machines is not authorized under the national framework
• Carry mandatory labeling noting the need for heat treatment before consumption and storage between 1°C and 4°C

The Spanish food safety authority AESAN (Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición) advises against consuming raw milk without prior boiling (AESAN).

Catalonia: From the 1990 Prohibition to the 2018 Authorization

Catalonia’s relationship with raw milk direct sales has its own distinct regulatory history. The regional Decreto 297/1990of December 4, 1990 had prohibited direct bulk (a granel) raw milk sales in Catalonia for 28 years, permitting only certified packaged raw milk from specifically approved farms.

On July 17, 2018, the Catalan government (Govern de la Generalitat de Catalunya) adopted Decreto 163/2018, published in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC) nº 7667 on July 19, 2018. The decree explicitly repealed the 1990 prohibition and authorized direct raw cow milk sales through three channels:

1. At the farm (a la explotación): direct farm gate sales
2. Through an automated machine (màquina automàtica / máquina automática): raw milk vending machines
3. Through a retail establishment (establiment minorista): licensed shops

The inclusion of automated machines specifically distinguishes the Catalan framework from the national framework that followed two years later. Catalonia authorizes vending machines; the national Real Decreto 1086/2020 requires packaging but does not provide an equivalent machine authorization.

The 2018 decree was received with significant controversy in Spanish public health circles. Medical associations and food safety experts argued it represented a regression from established hygiene standards. The Catalan government’s position was that rigorous hygiene controls and consumer information requirements made the framework safe and proportionate (eldiario.es, July 2018).

Requirements Under the Catalan Decree

Producers wishing to sell raw cow milk directly to consumers in Catalonia must submit prior notification to the regional authorities and comply with health and hygiene controls throughout the production, transport, and sale chain. The decree requires the farm to designate a responsible person (persona responsable) with specific formal training in direct raw milk production and sales. Operators selling through automated machines must register the location of each machine with the Catalan authorities.

The decree applies specifically to leche cruda de vaca (raw cow’s milk). Required labeling informs consumers of storage requirements (between 1°C and 4°C) and the recommended shelf life of three days from milking. Consumers using machines must bring their own clean container.

Catalonia maintains a Directori d’explotacions de venda directa de llet crua de vaca (directory of farms authorized for direct raw cow milk sales), administered by the Agència Catalana de Seguretat Alimentària (ACSA).

What Is Available Across Spain

Outside Catalonia, packaged raw milk direct sales from registered producers became nationally authorized under Real Decreto 1086/2020. Farms registered in the RGSEAA may sell packaged raw milk directly to consumers without machines.

Raw milk cheeses are produced and sold across Spain regardless of region. Several celebrated Spanish PDO cheeses have raw milk versions: Idiazábal (smoked or natural Basque and Navarrese sheep’s milk) and Roncal (Navarrese sheep’s milk) must be made from raw milk under their PDO specifications. Gamonedo and La Serena are also raw milk cheeses. Manchego PDO can be made from either raw or pasteurized Manchega sheep’s milk; only the raw milk version may be labeled artesano, and must display “Leche cruda” on packaging. Mahón-Menorca Artesano similarly designates the raw milk version of the Menorcan cow’s milk cheese. Raw milk cheese regulation follows EU 853/2004’s general framework for ripened cheeses and is entirely separate from the direct fresh milk sale rules.

Vocabulary

• Leche cruda: raw milk (Spanish)
• Llet crua: raw milk in Catalan, the language used in the text of Decreto 163/2018
• Leche sin pasteurizar: unpasteurized milk
• Venta directa: direct sale
• Ganadería: dairy farm or livestock farm
• Explotación ganadera: livestock/dairy operation
• Màquina automàtica (Catalan) / Máquina automática (Spanish): automated milk vending machine
• Queso de leche cruda: raw milk cheese
• Artesano: artisan; on a Manchego label, indicates the cheese is made from raw milk

Finding Raw Milk in Spain and Catalonia

Current raw milk sources across Spain, including Catalonia, are listed at raw milk in Spain. For sources in Barcelona and the surrounding area, see raw milk near Barcelona.

For a full overview of raw milk vending machine networks across Europe, see Raw Milk Vending Machines in Europe. For a practical guide to finding machines by country, see How to Find a Raw Milk Vending Machine in Europe.