How the New SFDA Nutritional Labelling Rules Are Transforming Food Safety and Consumer Awareness in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has taken a major step forward in food safety regulation and consumer health protection through its newly proposed SFDA Nutritional Labelling Requirements.
 This initiative, led by the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) in collaboration with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), aims to bring clarity, transparency, and international alignment to food labelling standards across the Kingdom.

The proposed draft regulation marks a new era of food safety in Saudi Arabia, ensuring that consumers have access to accurate, easy-to-understand nutritional information while helping food manufacturers align with global best practices such as the Codex Alimentarius and EU Regulation No. 1169/2011.

Key Highlights of the New SFDA Nutritional Labelling Regulation

1.Scope and Objectives

The regulation ensures that every pre-packaged food product in Saudi Arabia carries accurate and unambiguous nutritional information.
 This helps consumers make informed dietary choices and strengthens public health and food safety awareness.

The main goal: to protect human health, increase transparency, and enhance consumer trust in the Saudi food market.

2. International Alignment with Global Standards

The SFDA regulation aligns with the Codex Standard CAC/GL 2:2017 and the EU Regulation 1169/2011, ensuring harmonization with global food labelling compliance frameworks.

This alignment demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s commitment to building a globally competitive food safety system, promoting regulatory harmonization, and encouraging cross-border trade.

3. Proposed Implementation Timeline

• Stakeholder feedback period: 60 days from notification
• Regulation enforcement: 180 days after official publication

This phased approach encourages stakeholder participation and allows food manufacturers sufficient time to adapt their packaging and labelling systems for full compliance.

4. Stakeholder Collaboration and Transparency

Stakeholders — including food manufacturers, importers, local representatives, and industry associations — are encouraged to participate by submitting feedback to SASO and SFDA.
 This ensures transparency, inclusivity, and effective implementation across the Saudi food supply chain.

Implications for the Food Industry and Consumers

1.Enhanced Transparency & Consumer Empowerment

The new SFDA labelling system allows consumers to easily understand nutritional values such as calories, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
 This empowers healthier choices and supports the Healthy Food Strategy (HFS) goals to reduce obesity and lifestyle diseases in Saudi Arabia.

2. Improved Industry Compliance

By standardizing nutritional labelling requirements, the SFDA promotes consistency, quality assurance, and consumer trust in the market.
Manufacturers must align with SFDA and SASO guidelines to maintain compliance and brand credibility.

3. Global Harmonization

Aligning Saudi food labelling regulations with international standards improves export potential and market access, benefiting both local manufacturers and multinational brands.

Role of Local Representatives in Regulation Implementation

Local Representatives act as a critical link between regulatory bodies, food manufacturers, and consumers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaboration with SFDA and industry stakeholders to ensure compliance.
• Organizing educational campaigns to raise consumer awareness about healthy eating.
• Ensuring accurate nutritional labelling on imported and local food products.
• Promoting caloric labelling in restaurants, cafes, and hotels to encourage healthy eating habits.

Through these initiatives, Local Representatives support the SFDA’s mission to build a transparent and health-conscious food ecosystem.

Implications for Food Manufacturers

Manufacturers must ensure that their packaging, labelling, and documentation meet SFDA standards.
Failure to comply could result in delays, rejections, or penalties, as well as loss of consumer trust.

Common Challenges and Key Solutions:

Non-compliance can lead to product recalls, reputational harm, and legal penalties. Hence, regulatory diligence is critical.

Compliance Checklist for SFDA Nutritional Labelling

• Clear declaration of energy value (kcal), protein, carbohydrates, fat, and sodium
• Labelling in Arabic and English
• Adherence to Codex and SFDA format requirements
• Accurate serving size and daily intake information
• Inclusion of allergens and additives
• Use of legible font size and layout standards

Maven Regulatory Solutions: Your Partner for SFDA Compliance

At Maven Regulatory Solutions, we help food and beverage companies navigate the complex landscape of Saudi food regulatory compliance.

Our expertise includes:

• Dossier preparation and labelling reviews
• Gap analysis and compliance strategy
• SFDA registration and approval support
• Implementation of nutritional labelling systems
• lobal-to-local regulatory harmonization guidance

We ensure your food products meet SFDA and SASO requirements — helping you achieve faster approvals, avoid penalties, and build consumer trust.

Conclusion: Building a Healthier, Transparent Future

Saudi Arabia’s SFDA Nutritional Labelling Regulation represents a progressive shift toward consumer protection, healthy living, and global food safety alignment.

For food manufacturers, now is the time to act — update labelling systems, ensure full compliance, and contribute to a healthier Saudi society.

With Maven Regulatory Solutions as your compliance partner, achieving SFDA approval and maintaining ongoing regulatory alignment becomes simpler, faster, and more reliable.