Saudi Arabia Proposes New Food Standards: Limits on Smoked Fish Salt Content!

On December 3, 2024, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health released two proposals aimed at establishing new food standards. The first proposal involves six food standards, including product standards for four items (smoked fish, salted fish, salad dressing, and marinated, cooked, or dried anchovies) and two hygiene standards for food production processes (low-acid food production and hygiene requirements for food businesses). These standards detail definitions, terminology, product classifications, the use of raw materials and food additives (e.g., salted fish salt content should be between 10-14%, histamine content should not exceed 20mg/100g, histamine in smoked fish should not exceed 10mg/100g, and the water activity of dried smoked fish products should not exceed 0.85), sampling and testing methods, packaging, transportation and storage requirements, as well as labeling regulations (e.g., salad dressing product labels must indicate the standardized category name).

The second proposal focuses on establishing standards for mixed fruit canned products, including definitions and scope, general requirements (such as mixing ratios, specifications, components, and contaminants), and packaging requirements (ensuring that products are free from potentially harmful microorganisms, and requiring heat treatment and commercial sterilization before or after packaging). The public feedback period for both proposals ends on January 3, 2025.