RIYADH: Saudi drug enforcement officers seized more than 40 million packages of illegal cosmetic products during inspection visits carried out throughout the Kingdom in the first half of this year, figures have revealed.
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) conducted 7,284 checks on cosmetic facilities over the six-month period that uncovered 1,105 breaches of rules and regulations surrounding the items.
SFDA inspectors closed 95 facilities, identified another 83 that had been operating without a permit, shut down three production lines, and withdrew 1,600 samples, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The authority’s enforcement initiative included checking that beauty products matched approved medical claims, tracking marketers of cosmetic products not included on social media, verifying the quality of cosmetics, contact lenses, and lens solutions at beauty outlets, and scrutinizing medical claims on packaging.

Reports of suspected violations can be made to the SFDA by phoning its 19999 helpline or via the authority’s Tameni app.