In force
Saudi Food Law
نظام الغذاء
Regulates food safety and the food industry in Saudi Arabia, including food regulations and specifications, registration, licensing, circulation of food, inspection, sampling, recalls and penalties. It concerns food businesses and consumers.
- Articles
- 45
- In force
- 45
- Amended
- 0
- Issued
- 6/1/1436 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم (م / 1) بتاريخ 6 / 1 / 1436
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Food Law by topic
Definitions of the Food Law and Its Aims5 articlesFood Technical Regulations and Standard Specifications4 articlesImporting and Exporting Food2 articlesRegistering Food Establishments and Products3 articlesLicensing Food Establishments and Workers5 articlesFood Advertising1 articleFood Banned from Circulation2 articlesResponsibilities of Food Establishments4 articlesFood Monitoring and Inspection8 articlesTaking and Analyzing Food Samples3 articlesPrecautionary Measures and Closing Food Establishments3 articlesWithdrawing and Destroying Food Products5 articlesPenalties for Food Law Violations3 articlesInternational Cooperation on Food2 articles
Articles of the Saudi Food Law
الفصل الأول: أحكام عامةArticles 1–3
- Article 1The article sets the meanings of the terms used in the Food Law, such as food, food establishment, food chain, food label, food recall and inspection.
- Article 2The article states the aims of the Food Law: ensuring food safety and improving its quality, protecting consumer health and protecting the consumer from harmful or adulterated food, and not obstructing the food trade.
- Article 3The article provides that the Food Law applies to all stages of the food chain, with no stage excepted.
الفصل الثاني: لوائح ومواصفات الغذاءArticles 4–7
- Article 4The article gives the Food and Drug Authority the power to issue technical regulations and standard specifications for food, its facilities and the people working in them.
- Article 5The article requires the Authority to take international food standard specifications into account when issuing and updating technical regulations and standard specifications.
- Article 6The article provides that the Authority adopts the principle of risk analysis when approving and updating food technical regulations and standard specifications.
- Article 7The article bars clearing any imported food before the Authority's approval as set by the Regulations, and assigns the Authority to issue regulations governing the procedures for permission to clear it.
الفصل الثالث: التسجيلArticles 8–10
- Article 8The article requires every food establishment, including primary production facilities, to register with the Authority, and refers the registration conditions and procedures to the Regulations.
- Article 9The article requires a food establishment to register its food products with the Authority, and refers the registration conditions, procedures and the materials exempt from registration to the Regulations.
- Article 10The article requires laboratories that deal with food to register with the Authority, and refers the registration conditions and procedures to the Regulations.
الفصل الرابع: التراخيصArticles 11–15
- Article 11The article bars advertising food except with the Authority's approval, under the conditions and requirements the Regulations set.
- Article 12The article bars any laboratory from dealing with food before obtaining a license from the Authority under the conditions and requirements the Regulations set.
- Article 13The Law prohibits any food establishment from handling food before obtaining a technical license from the Authority, according to the requirements, conditions and procedures set by the Regulations.
- Article 14The article limits food exports to establishments the Food and Drug Authority has licensed for that.
- Article 15Article 15 bars any individual from working in food handling before obtaining a license to work in food-related activities, and leaves the conditions to the Regulations.
الفصل الخامس: تداول الغذاءArticles 16–17
- Article 16Article 16 lists seven cases in which food may not be handled, including food that violates Sharia, is harmful to health, is adulterated, lacks a food label or is not registered.
- Article 17Article 17 makes the food establishment responsible for ensuring that the Food Law and its regulations are applied in the food activity under its responsibility.
الفصل السادس: مسؤوليات المنشآت الغذائيةArticles 18–20
- Article 18Article 18 requires a food establishment to be able to identify the source of food under its supervision and its suppliers, and to give the Authority information when needed.
- Article 19Article 19 allows the Authority to evaluate food before, during and after marketing when needed, and to take the measures set by the Regulations in light of the result.
- Article 20Article 20 requires a food establishment that knows or suspects food is non-compliant to notify the Authority and take the measures to withdraw it as the Regulations set.
الفصل السابع: الرقابة على الغذاءArticles 21–26
- Article 21Article 21 tasks the Authority with setting up and running a rapid alert system to report food-related dangers to human health and with raising consumer awareness, per procedures in the Regulations.
- Article 22Article 22 makes the Authority the body legally empowered to inspect food establishments and facilities to apply the Food Law and its regulations, with security agencies' help when needed.
- Article 23Article 23 assigns oversight, inspection and the recording of violations to inspectors named by decision of the President, and gives them the powers of criminal investigation officers.
- Article 24Article 24 lets an inspector who shows a work ID enter food establishments, review records and take food samples, and requires the establishment to allow this and not obstruct.
- Article 25Article 25 lets an inspector seize food that violates the Law or its regulations and take necessary measures per the Regulations, and makes seizure mandatory if the food is unsafe.
- Article 26Article 26 requires the inspector to keep information confidential except at the request of the Authority or the competent court, follow the Law's procedures, and draw up a violation report with a copy to the violator.
الفصل الثامن: سحب وتحليل العيناتArticles 27–28
- Article 27Article 27 gives the Authority the right to take food samples free of charge to verify compliance with the Law and its regulations, and to analyze them when needed in its own or registered laboratories.
- Article 28Article 28 provides that if sample analysis shows a violation of the Law or its regulations, the Authority issues a report and may take the necessary measures, including notifying the food establishment.
الفصل التاسع: الإجراءات الوقائية والتدابير الاحترازيةArticles 29–32
- Article 29The Authority may adopt the appropriate preventive approach to ensure food safety throughout the stages of the food chain, and may impose the technical systems that achieve it.
- Article 30Article 30 allows the Authority to take precautionary measures if it believes food may harm health without conclusive scientific evidence, weighing the potential harm, avoiding unnecessary restrictions and reviewing them within a reasonable period.
- Article 31Article 31 allows the Authority to order a food establishment or any of its facilities closed where there is a potential danger to consumer or public health, per the procedures in the Regulations.
- Article 32Article 32 allows the Authority to order food withdrawn, or take appropriate measures, where food poses a health danger that cannot be avoided by the available measures.
الفصل العاشر: سحب المنتج الغذائيArticles 33–35
- Article 33Article 33 allows the Authority, where there is evidence that a food product may harm health, to order it withdrawn or recalled and its handling prohibited, per the Regulations.
- Article 34Article 34 allows the Authority to order administratively the destruction of any food product violating the Law or its regulations whenever its handling harms health, with procedures set by the Regulations.
- Article 35Article 35 prohibits the handling of any food product the Authority has decided to withdraw or recall from the market, or to ban from handling.
الفصل الحادي عشر: العقوباتArticles 36–37
- Article 36Article 36 sets the penalties for violating the Food Law, from fines, work bans and license suspension or cancellation to imprisonment for intentionally handling harmful, adulterated or prohibited food, and the grievance routes.
- Article 37Article 37 gives anyone harmed by a violation of the Food Law the right to claim compensation for the damage the violation caused before the competent court.
الفصل الثاني عشر: أحكام ختاميةArticles 38–45
- Article 38Article 38 allows the Authority to conclude mutual recognition agreements, memoranda of understanding and other bilateral or multilateral cooperation mechanisms on food, and makes it the body empowered to implement them.
- Article 39Article 39 makes the Authority's Board the body that sets the financial charges for the Authority's services and for the licenses, registration certificates and approvals it issues.
- Article 40Article 40 allows financial rewards to be given to the Authority's inspectors, by decision of the Board, for work that helps avoid harm to consumers or public health.
- Article 41Article 41 allows the Board to grant an incentive reward of up to 25% of the fine due to a person other than inspectors who helps uncover a violation of the Law.
- Article 42The Authority must present draft technical regulations and food standard specifications to the public, in the manner it considers appropriate, before adopting or issuing them, to receive comments and suggestions.
- Article 43Article 43 allows the Authority to enlist any other government body or the private sector to carry out any task assigned to it under the Food Law and its regulations.
- Article 44Article 44 requires the Board to issue the Implementing Regulations of the Food Law within 180 days of its publication in the Official Gazette, to take effect from the date the Law takes effect.
- Article 45Article 45 provides that the Food Law takes effect 180 days after its publication in the Official Gazette and repeals every provision that conflicts with it.