HQC officially listed by SASO and SFDA

Halal Quality Control is now officially accredited and enlisted as an approved Halal Certification Body in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Good news for our partners, offices, customers, relations, and associates: Halal Quality Control is not only accredited by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority [SFDA], but also registered and approved by the Saudi Standards [SASO].

The Saudi Arabia Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) proposed a change in halal regulations, which has extended its mandatory halal certification for several commonly-consumed food and beverages (F&B).

The amendment is a part of a series of reforms that the Saudi Government has been implementing since 2019. For instance, the SFDA established a Halal Center under the aegis of the SFDA to approve foreign halal certification authorities. This effectively requires foreign halal certification bodies to gain approval from the SFDA instead of the Muslim World League for their halal certificates to be accepted within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With this, the SFDA becomes the sole authority for issuing halal certificates for all locally produced and imported foodstuff.

Earlier, halal certification was only mandatory for imported meat and meat-based products. However, the new regulation mandates halal certification for all imported chilled and frozen foods, confectionery, long shelf-life products, milk and other dairy products, and oils and fats. Confectionery includes biscuits, cake, candy, chocolates and jelly, while the chilled and frozen foods category includes frozen fast foods such as pasta, pizza, and noodles, and drinks. Long shelf-life products include baby foods, canned foods, soft drinks, sauces, and nutritional supplements. As the public consultation concluded in April 2021, the new regulation is expected to come into force in two phases from 1 January 2022 to 1 July 2022.