Article 35 of the Saudi Food Law
المادة 35 من نظام الغذاء · الفصل العاشر: سحب المنتج الغذائي
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز تداول أي منتج غذائي قررت الهيئة سحبه أو استرجاعه من السوق، أو حظر تداوله.
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 35 explained in plain English
This article lays down an explicit rule that ensures the effectiveness of the Authority's decisions: no food product may be handled that the Authority has decided to:
- withdraw from the market, or
- recall from the market, or
- ban from handling.
What does this mean in practice? The Authority's decision does not bind the producing establishment alone; its effect extends to everyone who handles the product. Under Article 1, handling covers the practices food goes through in the food chain, such as storage, transport, display, sale and free distribution. So the distributor, the retailer and the warehouse are all barred from continuing to handle it.
The text is absolute in the phrase "any food product", so it makes no distinction between a local and an imported product.
This article connects with what precedes it: Article 34 allows the Authority to order administratively the destruction of a non-compliant food product whose handling causes harm to health. It is followed by Article 36, which sets the penalties for violating the provisions of the Law or its regulations, including a fine not exceeding one million riyals, and imprisonment for up to ten years or a fine not exceeding ten million riyals or both where the violation consists of intentionally causing the handling of a prohibited food substance, in addition to other penalties.
A trader should therefore follow the Authority's decisions on the products they deal in, and consult a lawyer specializing in commercial or criminal cases if a violation is attributed to them.
Practical example
The Authority announced the withdrawal of a type of infant formula from the markets. A week later, tins of it were found on display at a grocery store in Al-Ahsa. The store may not continue to display or sell them, because the prohibition covers any handling of a product the Authority has decided to withdraw.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentCriminal Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Criminal Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ibrahim Al Salem Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Frequently asked questions about Article 35 of the Saudi Food Law
May I sell a product that the Food and Drug Authority has withdrawn?
No. No food product may be handled that the Authority has decided to withdraw or recall from the market, or to ban from handling.
Does the ban cover shops that bought the product before the decision?
The prohibition in the text is general for any handling of the product, and handling includes storage, display and sale; it makes no exception for those who bought the product before the decision.
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 32
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.
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 ا
- 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
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.