Article 32 of the Saudi Food Law
المادة 32 من نظام الغذاء · الفصل التاسع: الإجراءات الوقائية والتدابير الاحترازية
Article 32 allows the Authority to order food withdrawn, or take appropriate measures, where food poses a health danger that cannot be avoided by the available measures.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا ظهر للهيئة أن الغذاء يشكل خطراً على صحة المستهلك أو الصحة العامة، ولا يمكن تفاديه بالتدابير والإجراءات المتاحة؛ فلها الأمر بسحب الغذاء، أو اتخاذ الإجراءات المناسبة وفقاً لما تقتضيه طبيعة الحالة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 32 explained in plain English
This article deals with food that the Authority has found poses a danger to consumer health or public health.
Two conditions for its application:
- It appears to the Authority that the food poses a danger to consumer health or public health.
- This danger cannot be avoided by the available measures and procedures.
If both conditions are met, the Authority has one of two options:
- Order the food withdrawn.
- Or take the appropriate measures as required by the nature of the case.
Under Article 1, food withdrawal means the procedures or measures taken to recover possession of food that is unsafe for the consumer or violates the Law, and to prevent its distribution or display.
The second condition matters: withdrawal is not the first option if the danger can be dealt with by other available means. The phrase "as required by the nature of the case" gives the Authority flexibility in choosing the appropriate measure, without the text specifying those measures.
This article connects with Article 31, which allows the Authority to close the establishment or its facilities where there is a potential danger: closure concerns the establishment, while withdrawal concerns the food itself. It is followed by Article 33, which allows the Authority to order a product withdrawn or recalled and its handling prohibited if there is evidence that it may cause harm.
Practical example
The Authority found that a batch of canned tuna on the market is contaminated with dangerous bacteria and cannot be dealt with by any available measure. The Authority may order this batch withdrawn from the market, or take the measure appropriate to the nature of the case.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 32 of the Saudi Food Law
When does the Food Authority order food withdrawn?
When it appears to it that the food poses a danger to consumer health or public health that cannot be avoided by the available measures and procedures.
Is withdrawal the only measure available to the Authority?
No. The Authority may order withdrawal or take the appropriate measures as required by the nature of the case.
More articles on Withdrawing and Destroying Food Products
- Article 20
Article 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.
إذا علمت أو شكّت المنشأة الغذائية أن الغذاء غير مطابق للاشتراطات والمتطلبات التي تفرضها الهيئة؛ وجب عليها إبلاغ الهيئة بذلك، واتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة لسحب الغذا
- Article 33
Article 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.
إذا توافر للهيئة دليل على أن هناك منتجاً غذائيًّا قد يسبب ضرراً على صحة المستهلك، أو الصحة العامة؛ فلها الأمر بسحب المنتج، أو استرجاعه ومنع تداوله وفقاً للإجراء
- Article 34
Article 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.
للهيئة أن تأمر إداريًّا بإتلاف أي منتج غذائي مخالف لأحكام هذا النظام ولوائحه متى كان تداوله يسبب ضرراً على صحة المستهلك أو الصحة العامة، وتحدد اللائحة إجراءات ا
- Article 35
Article 35 prohibits the handling of any food product the Authority has decided to withdraw or recall from the market, or to ban from handling.
لا يجوز تداول أي منتج غذائي قررت الهيئة سحبه أو استرجاعه من السوق، أو حظر تداوله.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.