The goal of this sector is to ensure safety and security of food and feed, safety and security of pesticides and ease commercial traffic flow while maintaining safety of food and reinforcement of consumers and clients confidence in food control authority.

Vision:

Building an effective monitoring system that improves food safety and quality from production to consumption.

Mission:

Implement an integrated regulatory system based on transparent scientific foundations and achieve high levels of food safety and quality, with the participation of relevant parties.

General Objectives:

• The safety of food for the consumption of humans and animals, and its effectiveness.
• The safety of pesticides.
• Setting up a clear food policy and the planning to achieve the objectives of this policy.

Functions:

• Preparing complete legislation of technical bylaws and standards for food products that achieves the Kingdom interests and the WTO agreements’ requirements.
• Participating in preparing and reviewing food standards’ projects locally, regionally and internationally.
• Participating in preparing and composing healthy food systems and policies.
• Designing national and targeted plans and programs that are based on risk assessment to monitor food and feed contaminants.
• Conducting risk assessment of physical, chemical, microbial and nutritional risks associated with food based on scientific basis to support decision-making process.
• Assessing the safety and effectiveness of the food products before and after marketing, and supporting the registration procedures.
• Conducting scientific assessment of feed and pesticides products, and supporting the registration and licensing procedures.
• Supervising the ban and ban-lifting task for food products.
• Evaluating the commercial advertisements of the food products.
• Evaluating and approving training programs related to food safety.
• Supervising the notification and inquiry center of the SPS committee.
• It is the national contact point for the Kingdom in the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
• Monitoring and managing food and feed related alerts and notifications, and participating in the foodborne diseases’ survey.
• Developing procedures for feed and pesticides alerts, ensuring timely response and developing monitoring plans for feed and pesticides products.
• Assessing the toxicity of tobacco contents and its emissions.
• Preparing scientific reports of the safety of the new tobacco products (updated).
• Preparing and reviewing tobacco products standards and technical bylaws.
• Representing SFDA in related national, regional, and international technical committees’ meetings