In a Meeting with ‘Alternative Breast Milk Companies’ SFDA declares: ‘Milk Packs for Infants Under 3 Years of Age Will be Subject to Pricing’
2015-01-12
SFDA organized a meeting with Alternative Breast Milk Companies & their Agents in the Kingdom in SFDA’s Head Office to discuss pricing. The meeting was attended by H.E. SFDA Vice President for Food Sector, Dr. Salah Almiman, H.E. Vice President for Drug Sector, Dr. Ibrahim Al Jufali and H.E. The Executive Director for Vigilance & Crisis Management Department, Dr. Adel Al Harf.
Dr. Almiman declared that alternative breast milk for infants of 36 months of age and below shall be subject to pricing according to the provisions of the Council of Ministers’ Resolution in this respect. He called on the respective companies to comply with the conditions and limitations outlined by SFDA.
Dr. Almiman pointed out that a committee was formed to review the specifications of infants milk to ensure their conformance with the approved specifications and to guarantee their quality at the highest international standards.
To this extent, Dr. Ibrahim Al Jufali confirmed that the observations of Alternative Breast Milk Companies and their Agents will be taken in consideration by the committee which is now establishing the pricing mechanism. He said, ”SFDA will be fully committed to the prices ceiling proposed by the Ministry of Trade until pricing mechanism will be completed, very soon.” Dr. Al Jufali emphasized that SFDA will have full right to revise the price of the product at any time and the companies have the right of objection to the price by submitting documented scientific justifications within the specified time frame. He referred to the infants milk subsidy offered by the government to consumers where such subsidy will be deducted from milk price at the time of pricing.
The Council of Ministers have recently approved several resolutions concerning Alternative Breast Milk and Infants Milk where it provided, among others, that SFDA shall price all types the manufactured breast milk alternatives (infant milk) using the same mechanism of drug pricing. The existing subsidy shall cover infants with hereditary and allergy diseases after identification of milk types, in coordination between SFDA and the Ministerial Provisioning Committee . In addition, infant milk prices will be periodically revised, compared to the prevailing prices in the GCC countries.
