Article 31 of the Saudi Food Law

This article gives the Saudi Food and Drug Authority one of its most consequential powers: ordering the closure of a food establishment or any of its facilities.

When may closure be ordered? Where there is a potential danger to consumer health or public health arising from one of the following:

• The food establishment itself.
• Its facilities.
• Any of its contents.
• Its products.

Note that the text is satisfied with the danger being potential; it does not require that harm has actually occurred.

Scope of the order: it may cover the whole establishment or be limited to any of its facilities. Under Article 1, a food facility is a permanent, temporary, fixed or mobile site or building, or a means of transport used by the food establishment; so closure may be limited, for example, to a warehouse or kitchen and not the other branches.

Procedures: the order is issued according to the procedures set by the Regulations, and in this article the Law does not state the length of closure or how it is lifted.

This article comes after Article 30, which allows precautionary measures where harm is possible without conclusive scientific evidence, taking into account the size of the potential harm and avoiding unnecessary restrictions. It is followed by Article 32, which allows the Authority to order the withdrawal of food that poses a danger that cannot be avoided by the available measures.

Anyone subject to a closure order who believes it is unfounded would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in administrative cases.