The regulation in simple terms
A kitchen product can look clean and well made while still releasing unwanted substances into food. This regulation addresses that risk for covered tools and appliances used to prepare, serve or store food in Saudi Arabia.
The basic requirement is that the materials, coatings and other food-contact parts must be suitable for their intended use. A product should not transfer substances into food at unsafe levels or cause unacceptable changes to the food. A supplier’s description such as “food safe” needs supporting evidence.
Does this apply to my product?
Start by asking whether the item touches food, or could reasonably touch it during normal use. Then identify its materials and match the product to Annex 2. Being sold for a kitchen is not, by itself, enough to decide coverage.
What does this mean for you?
- For importers and manufacturers: identify the food-contact materials and intended use before choosing tests or preparing a SABER application.
- For shops, restaurants and buyers: ask whether reports cover the actual product and its claimed use, including hot food or repeated use where relevant.
- For electrical kitchen appliances: food-contact evidence does not replace checks under other applicable electrical or product regulations.
An everyday example
You buy a plastic container advertised for cold storage and want to sell it as microwave-safe. A report for cold food contact does not automatically support heating. First confirm the intended temperature and use with the manufacturer, then have the evidence reviewed for that claim.
Which products are covered?
These examples are drawn from the product and standards list in Annex 2. The exact material, coating, intended use and product construction determine which requirements and tests apply.
| Product category | Examples | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Tableware and cutlery | Plates, bowls, spoons, forks and kitchen knives | Identify the material, any decoration or coating, and the surfaces that touch food. |
| Cookware | Aluminium pans, ceramic or heat-resistant glass cookware and coated cooking utensils | State the intended heat source and temperature, and identify the coating separately from the base material. |
| Food-storage containers | Reusable plastic food boxes, water bottles and glass containers | Record the plastic or other material, contact conditions, and any freezer, heating or reuse claims. |
| Disposable food-contact articles | Paper cups and single-use plastic tableware | Check the material and any lining or printing, as well as the intended food and temperature. |
| Food-preparation appliances | Covered food-contact parts of kitchen appliances | Separate the food-contact assessment from the appliance’s other safety requirements. |
Product examples are not a complete classification. Read the official text and confirm the applicable scope before making an application.
Check the boundaries
This is a food-contact regulation, not a blanket approval of everything used in a kitchen. Confirm the exact product against the official scope and annexes. Packaging, coatings and electrical functions may also raise requirements under other regulations.
GoCertify
How to get started
Use these practical steps to begin. The exact documents and tests depend on your product.
Describe the use. Send product photographs, model numbers and a list of food-contact materials. State whether the product is for hot or cold food, cooking, storage or repeated use.
Collect traceable evidence. Request material and coating specifications, available laboratory reports, manufacturer details and draft labels. Check that reports identify the actual product or materials supplied.
Review the route before shipment. Have scope, applicable standards, missing tests and label artwork checked. Prepare the declaration of conformity and risk assessment with the manufacturer and confirm the applicable SABER steps.
Is a supplier’s “food-grade” statement enough?
It is a useful starting point, but it does not replace the required conformity evidence. Ask what material and product the statement covers, under what conditions it was assessed, and which test reports support it. A material suitable for one use may not support every temperature or food-contact claim.
Technical details and references
For a closer review, these notes point to the relevant provisions in the edition linked below.
Materials and migration
Migration means substances moving from a product into food. Article 4 requires suitable, traceable raw materials, good manufacturing practices and compliance with the migration limits in the relevant standards. Match the assessment to the material and expected contact conditions; there is no single test limit for every kitchen product.
Articles 2–4; Annexes 1–2.
Coatings, printing and claims
Article 4 also addresses coatings and inks, including their suitability for food contact and risk assessment. Review the finished article, not only its base material. Article 5 requires label information to be correct and supported scientifically and by laboratory evidence.
Article 4.1.2; Article 5.6.
Labels and traceability
Article 5 specifies Arabic, or Arabic and English, labelling; clear instructions and warnings; a food-contact suitability symbol under Annex 3 or another approved symbol; and markings sufficient for traceability. Prepare the artwork alongside the test evidence rather than after shipment.
Article 5; Annex 3.
Conformity route and technical file
Article 6 specifies certification by a SASO-accepted body under Type 3 of ISO/IEC 17067. This is a conformity-assessment scheme, not simply a one-off laboratory report. The technical file includes the supplier’s declaration and a risk assessment. Annex 4 describes the scheme and Annex 5 provides the declaration form.
Article 6; Annexes 4–5.
Edition and dates
- Document edition
- First edition · Amendment 1
- Regulation published
- Amendment / update published
- GoCertify summary reviewed
The cover records original publication on 2 August 2019 and publication of Amendment 1 on 22 January 2021. The amendment approval date is different. These dates identify the downloaded edition; they are not a new application deadline.
Official documents & sources
Technical Regulation for Food Safety in Tools and Appliances Used in the Kitchen
Official documents are issued by SASO. The explanations on this website are independent GoCertify guidance, not official translations or approvals.
Download PDF · Arabic (5.6 MB)Download an unmodified copy of the official SASO regulation, hosted by GoCertify. The edition and dates shown above identify this copy.
Reading references: scope and objectives on page 6; material, coating and packaging requirements on pages 6–8; labels and conformity assessment on pages 9–10; product standards in Annex 2, pages 14–17. The cover identifies the original publication and amendment.
- View official source at SASO (opens in a new tab)
- SASO regulation catalogue (opens in a new tab)
- SABER regulations directory (opens in a new tab)
Product examples are not a complete classification. Read the official text and confirm the applicable scope before making an application.
The review date records when we checked these sources. It is not a promise that the regulator has made no subsequent changes. Official documents and later notices take precedence.