«الغذاء والدواء» تضبط 996 منشأة مخالفة

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority continued its regulatory efforts in April and May of the current year 2025, executing (5,912) monitoring and inspection rounds that resulted in the apprehension of (996) violating establishments out of (4,307) establishments visited across various regions of the Kingdom; and the closure of (136) establishments for failing to obtain the necessary licenses and for violations affecting product safety, in addition to halting (127) production lines and seizing (1,750) types of products. This is part of the Authority's efforts to ensure that the establishments under its supervision comply with the approved regulations and achieve the highest quality standards for products traded in the markets.

During these rounds, the regulatory teams managed to apprehend a violating food establishment where raw materials of unknown origin were found, along with several workers lacking health certificates and the absence of a tracking system, in addition to not adhering to contamination prevention measures, which necessitated the closure of the establishment by the Authority and the implementation of necessary legal actions.

Several unlicensed warehouses were also apprehended for storing expired medical products in an irregular manner, and under conditions that violated the transportation and storage requirements for medical products. Immediately, (313,789) products were seized, and legal procedures were completed against the violators to ensure consumer protection from unsafe and unsound products.

In another follow-up during the same period, the Authority apprehended a food factory that committed several violations, including failing to obtain a quality certificate (HACCP), overcrowding raw meat in freezing refrigerators, and signs of spoilage on some aged meats, in addition to discrepancies between the external production date and the date on the product, a noticeable decline in cleanliness within the establishment, and some workers lacking health certificates. As a result, the regulatory teams seized an amount of (2,000) kilograms of food products to ensure their safety, and the Authority continues to complete the legal procedures against the factory.

Within the framework of regulatory operations, the teams noticed during a joint inspection with the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones, several violations against a factory under construction, the most notable of which was the absence of a license from the "Food and Drug Authority," a complete lack of food safety systems, and the presence of manufacturing practices and production lines that violate food production requirements, along with several breaches affecting safety and quality. This necessitated the closure of the factory and production lines and the precautionary withdrawal of products until analysis results are issued to ensure their safety, and legal actions were taken against the violating factory.

The Authority emphasized the necessity for establishments under its supervision to adhere to the approved regulations and systems, confirming its continued efforts to apprehend violators, and that it will not hesitate to take any deterrent actions regarding any violations or negligence that may harm consumers and public health. It appreciated the noticeable compliance from many of the establishments under its supervision and called for reporting any violations through the unified number (19999).