10-year jail, SR10 million fine for selling bad food

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has started taking stringent penal action against those who sell harmful, adulterated or banned foodstuff.

Violators will be fined up to SR10 million and imprisoned for maximum 10 years.

The authority has made a table of contents classifying various violations and the penalties for each violation and started implementing it.

The table consists of gives details about each violation and the resulting penalties.

Penalties will be doubled with repetition of each violation. It is also said that harmful, adulterated or banned foodstuff will be taken off the shelves and destroyed at the expense of violators.

Anyone found guilty of displaying foodstuff that are harmful or adulterated or banned will be imprisoned for up to 10 years and fined up to SR10 million or of both.

Those involved in the sale of products without the authorization of the authorities concerned will be fined SR50,000 and/or the shop will be closed.

The same amount of fine will be slapped against those who engage in the trade of foodstuff that are adulterated, contaminated or banned in the local or international markets.

Firms involved in the trade of food packets banned by SFDA will have to pay a fine amounting to SR100,000.

SFDA table also includes various types of violations and their penalties with regard to the sale of fodder.

Fines amounting to SR200,000 will be slapped if any toxic content or anything that is harmful to the health of livestock or public health was found in fodder.

A fine of SR100,000 will be imposed for adulteration.