Saudi Arabia Nutrition Labeling Requirements | SFDA Guide
Saudi Arabia nutrition labeling requirements explained: mandatory nutrients, Arabic labels, calculation methods, claims, exemptions and SFDA review process.
10/27/20268 min read
What Must Appear on a Saudi Food Nutrition Label?
Reviewed by: Saudi Food Registration | Food Regulatory Compliance Team
Most prepackaged food products placed on the Saudi market require nutritional information that follows the applicable Saudi and Gulf technical regulations.
The label must present accurate nutritional values in an understandable format and remain consistent with the product’s formula, ingredients, serving information, claims, and supporting technical documents.
However, not every food follows identical requirements.
The product category, composition, intended use, claims, fortification, package size, and applicable exemptions must all be considered before the nutrition panel is finalized.
For manufacturers and exporters, the safest time to assess the nutrition label is before printing commercial packaging—not after a regulatory query, customs hold, or artwork reprint becomes necessary.
What Regulations Govern Nutrition Labels in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi food labeling requirements are built around several connected technical regulations.
The principal areas include:
General labeling of prepackaged foods
Nutritional labeling requirements
Nutrition and health claims
Product-specific technical regulations
Arabic-language requirements
Allergen declarations
Ingredient and additive requirements
Requirements for foods intended for special dietary uses
These requirements should be reviewed together. A nutrition panel may appear correct in isolation but still conflict with the ingredient list, product name, serving instructions, claims, or product classification.
The main nutrition-labeling regulation is commonly identified as SFDA.FD/GSO 2233. General food-label information is addressed through SFDA.FD/GSO 9, while nutrition and health claims are addressed under SFDA.FD 2333.
The applicable editions and any product-specific requirements should be confirmed before artwork approval.
Are Nutrition Facts Mandatory on Food Products in Saudi Arabia?
Nutrition labeling is generally required for prepackaged food products, subject to the exclusions and conditions established by the applicable technical regulations.
The first step is therefore not simply designing a nutrition table. It is determining whether the product:
Requires a full nutrition declaration
Qualifies for a specific exemption
Has additional category-specific requirements
Makes a nutrition or health claim
Contains added vitamins or minerals
Is intended for a special dietary purpose
Requires additional warnings or declarations
A company should not remove the nutrition panel merely because a similar product is exempt in another country. Saudi requirements must be evaluated independently.
Which Foods May Be Exempt from Nutrition Labeling?
Certain products may qualify for an exemption under the applicable nutrition-labeling regulation.
SFDA guidance identifies some foods consisting of a single ingredient—such as rice, tea, coffee, or sugar—as examples that may be excluded from the nutrition-labeling requirement.
An exemption should not be assumed solely because a product appears simple.
The assessment should consider:
Whether the product genuinely contains one ingredient
Whether additives, flavors, processing aids, or fortifying nutrients are present
Whether a nutrition or health claim appears on the packaging
Whether a product-specific regulation requires nutritional information
Whether the product is intended for a special population
Whether preparation changes the product’s nutritional declaration
Whether any voluntary declaration creates additional compliance obligations
When an exemption is uncertain, obtain a documented classification and labeling assessment before deleting the panel from the artwork.
What Nutrients Must Be Declared?
The precise declaration must be confirmed against the applicable regulation and product category.
A nutrition panel for a prepackaged food may need to address values such as:
Energy
Protein
Total fat
Saturated fat
Trans fat
Carbohydrates
Total sugars
Added sugars, where applicable
Dietary fiber
Sodium or salt
Cholesterol, where applicable
Vitamins and minerals when required
The declaration of vitamins and minerals becomes particularly important when the product specification includes added micronutrients or when the label makes a related nutrition or health claim.
Not every nutrient should be added merely to make the panel look more complete. Each declared value must be accurate, relevant, presented in the appropriate unit, and supported by reliable technical evidence.
Must Values Be Declared per 100 g or 100 ml?
Saudi nutrition-labeling requirements commonly use values per 100 grams for solid foods and per 100 millilitres for liquid foods.
Depending on the product and applicable requirements, the panel may also include:
Values per serving
Serving size
Servings per package
Reference-value percentages
Preparation-based values
Additional product-specific information
Serving information must be realistic and internally consistent. If the declared serving size, number of servings, net content, and nutrition calculations do not reconcile, the label may be questioned.
For products that require preparation, the business must determine whether values should be presented for the product as sold, as prepared, or both.
Preparation instructions and calculation assumptions must support the selected presentation.
Can a US or European Nutrition Panel Be Used in Saudi Arabia?
Not without checking it against Saudi requirements.
A nutrition panel designed for the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, or another GCC country may use different:
Nutrient names
Mandatory nutrients
Display order
Units of measurement
Reference values
Serving conventions
Rounding rules
Claim thresholds
Exemptions
Language conventions
Reusing international artwork without a Saudi compliance review can create discrepancies even when the underlying nutrition values are scientifically correct.
The existing panel can be used as technical input, but it should not automatically be treated as Saudi-ready artwork.
Can a Saudi Food Label Be Written Only in English?
No. Mandatory food-label information must be provided in Arabic.
Another language may appear alongside Arabic, but the information presented in both languages must be consistent. The English and Arabic versions should not communicate different ingredients, claims, warnings, serving instructions, or nutritional values.
Translation should involve more than replacing individual words. The review must ensure that:
Nutrient terminology is accurate
Measurement units remain unchanged
Decimal values are not altered
Claims have equivalent meaning
Warnings remain complete
Serving descriptions are consistent
Numbers correspond across both versions
Arabic formatting remains readable in the final artwork
A regulatory translation and artwork review can help identify differences that ordinary translation checks may miss.
Companies preparing bilingual documents can also review the available document translation and legalization support.
Can Nutrition Values Be Calculated, or Is Laboratory Testing Required?
Nutrition values may be developed through formula-based calculation, laboratory analysis, or an appropriate combination of both.
The best method depends on factors including:
Product composition
Ingredient-data reliability
Processing method
Moisture changes
Natural ingredient variability
Shelf-life effects
Fortification
Nutrition or health claims
Product-specific requirements
Customer or authority expectations
Formula-Based Calculation
A calculation uses ingredient quantities and reliable nutritional data to estimate the finished product’s values.
This approach requires:
A complete quantitative formula
Reliable supplier specifications
Correct yield and processing information
Consideration of moisture gain or loss
Consistent units
A documented calculation method
Suitable rounding and presentation
A calculation based on incomplete ingredient data or an incorrect production yield can produce a misleading panel.
Laboratory Analysis
Laboratory testing may be appropriate when:
Ingredient composition varies significantly
Processing materially changes nutritional values
Supplier data is incomplete
The product makes sensitive nutrition claims
The product is fortified
A customer or applicable requirement requests analytical evidence
Greater confidence is needed before commercial printing
Testing should be performed by a competent laboratory using methods appropriate for the product and nutrients being evaluated.
Laboratory results must also be interpreted correctly. Transferring raw analytical values directly onto the artwork without considering units, serving size, rounding, and regulatory presentation can still produce a noncompliant label.
How Are Nutrition Values Calculated from a Formula?
A formula-based calculation usually requires more than adding ingredient values together.
The review may need to consider:
The exact quantity of every ingredient in the batch
The nutrient composition of each ingredient
Manufacturing yield
Water gain or moisture loss
Nutrient losses during processing
Fortification levels
Finished-product weight
Serving size
Required declaration units
Applicable rounding requirements
The resulting values should then be checked against the ingredient declaration, product specification, certificate of analysis, serving information, and any claims appearing on the label.
A nutrition calculation is only as reliable as its input data. Supplier specifications that are outdated, incomplete, or based on a different ingredient grade can affect the final declaration.
How Do Nutrition Claims Affect the Label?
Claims such as the following can increase regulatory scrutiny:
High protein
Source of fiber
Low fat
Reduced sugar
Sugar free
No added sugar
Low sodium
High in calcium
Contains vitamins
Supports a named health function
A nutrition or health claim must satisfy the applicable conditions of use. It must also be supported by the declared nutrition values and the product’s underlying technical evidence.
A claim assessment should ask:
Is the claim permitted?
Does the product meet the applicable threshold?
Is the wording accurate in Arabic and English?
Is the required nutrient declared?
Does the serving size affect the claim?
Are additional statements or warnings required?
Does the formula support the claim throughout the shelf life?
Could the wording imply disease prevention or treatment?
A product should not be described as “healthy,” “high protein,” “low sugar,” or similar unless the wording and supporting values have been assessed.
For a deeper review of this area, see the guide to SFDA functional and nutrition claims.
How Must the Nutrition Panel Match the Product Formula?
The nutrition panel cannot be reviewed separately from the product formula.
The declared values should be consistent with:
Ingredient quantities
Nutrient-contributing ingredients
Added sugars
Added vitamins and minerals
Fat sources
Fiber ingredients
Sweeteners
Sodium-containing ingredients
Serving size
Net content
Product claims
For example, a high-protein claim may be questionable if the quantitative formula and calculated nutrition values do not support it. Similarly, declaring added vitamins without corresponding ingredients or technical specifications can create a discrepancy.
Formula-to-label reconciliation should be completed before submission and before the final packaging is printed.
What Nutrition-Label Errors Commonly Delay Registration?
Frequent problems include:
Missing required nutrients
Incorrect nutrient order
Values presented in the wrong units
Confusion between sodium and salt
Calculation errors
Incorrect serving conversions
Values that do not match the product formula
Missing added-sugar information where applicable
Unsupported vitamin or mineral declarations
Claims that do not meet the required conditions
Different values in the Arabic and English panels
Illegible text or poor contrast
Nutrition information copied from another market
Missing evidence for declared values
Inconsistent rounding
Failure to consider a product-specific standard
A strong pre-submission review checks the entire label, not only the appearance of the nutrition table.
What Should Be Reviewed Before Printing the Label?
Before artwork approval, manufacturers and importers should verify:
Product Classification
Confirm what the product is and which regulations apply. Classification affects the label, claims, registration route, and supporting documents.
Formula and Ingredient Data
Use the final commercial formula rather than a development version. Obtain current specifications for ingredients that contribute nutrients or support claims.
Nutrition Calculations
Confirm the calculation method, yield, moisture assumptions, units, serving conversions, and rounding.
Laboratory Evidence
Determine whether analytical testing is necessary and whether the methods and laboratory are appropriate.
Claims
Verify every nutrition, health, functional, comparative, and absence claim before it appears on the packaging.
Arabic and English Content
Confirm that both languages communicate equivalent information and use suitable regulatory terminology.
Complete Artwork
Review the nutrition panel alongside the ingredients, allergens, product name, country of origin, net content, dates, storage conditions, preparation instructions, warnings, and manufacturer information.
Supporting Documents
Ensure the values can be traced to calculations, specifications, certificates, laboratory reports, or other suitable evidence.
People Also Ask About Saudi Nutrition Labels
What are the requirements for food labeling in Saudi Arabia?
Prepackaged food labels must comply with the applicable general labeling, nutritional labeling, claims, allergen, ingredient, and product-specific requirements. Mandatory information must be presented in Arabic, with any additional language matching the Arabic content.
Are nutrition facts mandatory on every food product?
No. Some products may qualify for an exemption, including certain single-ingredient foods. Eligibility must be checked against the applicable regulation, product composition, claims, and category-specific requirements.
Can nutrition facts be removed from a single-ingredient product?
Certain single-ingredient foods may qualify for an exemption. This should be confirmed before removing the panel because added ingredients, claims, fortification, or a product-specific regulation may change the outcome.
Does SFDA require laboratory testing for nutrition facts?
Not every product necessarily requires the same evidence. Values may be supported by appropriate calculation, laboratory analysis, or both. The correct approach depends on the product, available data, processing, variability, claims, and applicable requirements.
Can the nutrition label be in English only?
No. Mandatory food-label information must appear in Arabic. English or another language may appear alongside it, provided the information is consistent.
Can foreign nutrition-label artwork be submitted unchanged?
It should not be assumed to comply. Foreign panels may use different nutrients, units, serving conventions, reference values, claim rules, or formatting. A Saudi-specific review should be completed first.
Are nutrition values declared per serving or per 100 g?
Values are commonly required per 100 g for solids or per 100 ml for liquids. Serving information may also be included or required depending on the product and applicable rules.
Must vitamins and minerals appear on the nutrition label?
They may need to be declared when added to the product, required by the product specification, or connected to a nutrition or health claim. The declaration should be supported by reliable evidence.
What happens if the nutrition panel does not match the formula?
The inconsistency may lead to questions, label corrections, claim removal, additional evidence requests, packaging changes, registration delays, or issues during import inspection.
Should the label be reviewed before or after product registration?
The formula, nutrition values, claims, bilingual content, and artwork should be reviewed before submission and before commercial packaging is printed.
A Practical Pre-Submission Nutrition Label Review
A structured review can cover:
Product classification
Applicable technical regulations
Nutrition-label exemption assessment
Formula and specification review
Nutrition calculation verification
Laboratory-testing requirements
Mandatory nutrient assessment
Serving-size and unit checks
Claim eligibility
Arabic and English consistency
Formula-to-label reconciliation
Final artwork review
Supporting-document readiness
This combines several services that are often treated separately. Nutrition calculations, testing, translation, claims assessment, artwork review, and product registration must ultimately describe the same product.
Prepare the Nutrition Panel Before Submission
A compliant nutrition label begins with accurate product data—not graphic design.
Manufacturers should finalize the formula, collect reliable ingredient specifications, determine whether calculation or testing is appropriate, verify claims, prepare consistent Arabic and English content, and review the complete artwork before printing.
Read More:
Understanding key documents for SFDA registration can help companies prepare the documentation required before submitting food products to the authority.
Learning how to fix SFDA labeling and packaging issues can help prevent common compliance errors that often cause regulatory delays.
Reviewing how to choose the right HS code for SFDA product approval can reduce customs complications and improve the accuracy of product classification during import.
Before submitting, many companies now rely on a structured SFDA risk assessment to identify approval issues early and avoid costly delays.