RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority carried out field visits ahead of Ramadan, inspecting the readiness of monitoring systems at food factories and warehouses in several parts of the Kingdom to ensure that safety standards were being met in preparation for the holy month.
The Saudi food safety watchdog media department informed Arab News on Tuesday that SFDA CEO Hisham S. Aljadhey accompanied the inspection teams as they conducted field visits in Jeddah and that a number of non-compliant establishments were closed.
The SFDA highlighted that strict legal action is underway, noting that violations of the food safety law can result in fines up to SR10 million ($2.7 million), suspension of operations, or imprisonment.
Field efforts included intensifying oversight of production lines in food factories, verifying facilities’ compliance with storage requirements in warehouses under the SFDA’s supervision, and ensuring the safety of operational practices before products reached the market.
Aljadhey stressed that the SFDA holds a zero-tolerance policy toward food safety violations, from factories and warehouses to the point of market entry, asserting that monitoring efforts would continue throughout the Kingdom.
Aljadhey, accompanied by the inspection teams, also visited on Monday food factories and warehouses in the Makkah region, where several non-compliant establishments were closed.
The SFDA said that it is intensifying nationwide monitoring in cooperation with relevant government authorities to ensure the quality, safety, and nutritional data accuracy of products in high demand during the holy month, as well as their compliance with health standards.
This comprehensive oversight verifies strict adherence to manufacturing, storage, and traceability standards, guaranteeing that only compliant products reach the market.
The SFDA reaffirmed its commitment to conducting continuous inspections to verify that food establishments adhere to health requirements.
“By monitoring safety throughout the production and storage stages, the authority ensures consumer protection,” said the CEO.
