Saudi Food and Drug Authority Plans to Make Halal Certification Obligatory in the Country

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) plans to make Halal certification obligatory for local and imported food products containing meat, poultry and all similar products. The suggested enforcement date of the obligation is the 1st of July 2022 as prescribed in the updated draft regulation.

Why it Matters?

As per the new obligation, the SFDA will require a Halal certificate to be issued for any food product that is raw or in a component of any other food item consisting of gelatine, collagen, animal rennet, animal fats and oils. The following will also still be applicable for food products that carry a Halal logo, sign or word. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has initiated the setup of a Halal Centre within the SFDA as well as a system for the approval...