4 replies to this topic

[Frank from NJ]

Just wondering if anyone has been running into recent concerns from customers in Saudi Arabia regarding pushback from SFDA on ingredients in their formulations? We are aware of the prohibitions on titanium dioxide, yellow #5 and yellow #6, but we have been experiencing questions on a number of other ingredients as well. Appreciate your comments.

[jita]

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is responsible for regulating food, drugs, and medical devices in Saudi Arabia. The SFDA has strict regulations on the use of food additives, colorings, and other ingredients in food and pharmaceuticals.

As you mentioned, the SFDA prohibits the use of titanium dioxide, yellow #5, and yellow #6 in food and pharmaceuticals. The SFDA has also banned several other additives, including azo dyes, benzoates, and some synthetic antioxidants.

In addition, the SFDA has strict labeling requirements for food and pharmaceuticals sold in Saudi Arabia. Products must have labels in Arabic and provide detailed information on the ingredients used.

It's possible that customers in Saudi Arabia are becoming more aware of the regulatory requirements and are asking more questions about ingredients in their products. If you have specific concerns about the ingredients in your formulations, it may be helpful to consult with a regulatory expert or seek guidance from the SFDA directly.

[SHQuality]

Yellow #5 and Yellow #6 are already prohibited in the EU and while titanium dioxide isn't prohibited in the EU, it's use is restricted to only a certain subset of products. I don't know what you produce, but I would follow EU legislation where formulation for products for foreign customers are concerned, that way you're relatively safe when you're selling to Saudi Arabia as well.

 

And just to be extra safe, I'd make sure all those products sold to Saudi Arabia would be halal certified as well.

[Frank from NJ]

Thank you for this information!

We are in compliance with EU  and Halal. However, the customer in Saudi Arabia is citing from Codex Alimentarius Stan 192-1995 from FAO/WHO for Food Category 11.4. See https://www.fao.org/...%2FCXS_192e.pdf

 

As an example, they are telling us that citric acid is not allowed in our formulation as it is not listed in food category 11.4. However, Citric and Fatty Acid Esters of Glycerol are listed as allowed.

 

Another example, Caramel Color E150c is allowed, but E150a is not.

Any thoughts?

[SHQuality]

If your product falls in the category 11.4 of that regulation, it's "Other sugars and syrups (e.g. xylose, maple syrup, sugar toppings)", I'm struggling to understand why you'd need citric acid or caramel as an additive. Citric acid is typically used as a acidity regulator or a preservative, neither of which is necessary in your formulation. And while "Citric and Fatty Acid Esters of Glycerol" has the word citric in its name, it's not related to citric acid when it comes to functionality.

 

I have no idea why they allow E150c, but not E150a, but again, I'm not sure you need it. Frankly, I'm surprised at the number of additives they are allowing in sugar and syrups.

 

Maybe you can share a little more about the nature of the formulation so we can dig into possible alternatives?