G/TBT/N/SAU/841  
 
27 March 2015  
(15-1717)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member: KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible: Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : 
Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization 
P.O. BOX: 3437 Riyadh 11471 
Tel: +966(1)4520000  Ext: (1378-1381-1383) Fax +966(1)4520193 Email: enquirypoint@saso.org.sau  
http://www.saso.gov.sa  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable): Microbiological criteria 
for foodstuffs (I CS Code: 67.050) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: The Kingdom of 
Saudi Arabia/The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Draft Technical 
Regulation for "Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs" (33 pages, in English; 46 pages, in Arabic)  
6. Description of content: This draft technical regulation applies to microbiological limits for 
some foodstuffs intended for human consumptio n, and for some food ingredients used in 
food industry.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Food safety 
8. Relevant documents:   
1. Brockmann, S., Piechotowski, I., Kimmig, P. (2004). Salmonella in Sesame Seed 
Products. J Food Prot 67 (1), p: 178-180; 
2. Bull, A., Crerar, S., and Beers, M. (2002). Australia's Imported Food Program – A 
Valuable Source of Information on Microorganisms in Foods. CDI 26(1), 28-32. (11, 30); 
3. CAC/GL 50-2004 General Guidelines on Sampling; 
4. Codex Standard 292-2008. Standard for Live and Raw Bivalve Mllusks; 
5. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1441/2007 of 5 December 2007 amending 
Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs. Official J 
Eur. Union. (1, 25). (1, 36). (1, 19). (1, 21); 
6. Food Administration Manual, S.11: Microbiological Reference Criteria for Food, 
Version 2 (1995), p: 25,16,15,14, 17, 21, 23, 18, 19, and 20; G/TBT/N/SAU/841 
 
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  7. Gilbert, RJ Louvois, J de Donovan, T & others (2000). Guidelines for the 
Microbiological Quality of Some Ready-to-Eat Foods Sampled at the Point of Sale. Commun Dis Public Health, 3 (3): 163-7; 
8. GSO 1017/98 Edible Essential Water Rose Water – Flower Water; 
9. GSO 1320/2002 Soft Candy; 
10. GSO 1821/2007 General Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars; 
11. GSO 1822/2007 Cream Caramel Powder; 
12. GSO 1968/2009 Concentrated Cane Syrup; 
13. GSO 1969/2009 Liquorice Root; 
14. GSO 222/2005 Table Olives; 
15. GSO 263/1994 Hard Candy; 
16. Guidelines for Assessing the Microbiological Safety of Ready-to-Eat Foods Placed on 
the Market. London: Health Protection Agency, November 2009; 
17. Hasell, S., Salter, M. (2003). Review of the Microbiological Standards for Foods. 
Food Control 14, p: 391-398. Ref12, 395; 
18. Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) Standards and Guidelines for 
Microbiological Safety of Food – An Interpretive Summery – 2008. Canadian Food 
Inspection Agency (CFIC); 
19. International Commission on Microbiological Specification for Foods (ICMSF). 
Microorganisms in Foods-2. Sampling for Microbiological Analysis: Principles & 
Specific Applications (1986) 2nd ed.; 
20. Isolation and Enumeration of Cronobacter Sakazakii from Dehydrated Powdered 
Infant Formula, FDA US, 2002; 
21. Standard 1.6.1 – Microbiological Limits for Food. Volume 2 of the Food Standards 
Code, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (ANZFA), 2001; 
22. Tomato Products – Specification, Part-3: Sauce and Ketchup, 2005. Kenya Bureau of 
Standards (KEBS); 
23. Varga, L. (2007). Microbiological Quality of Commercial Dairy Products. 
Communicating Current Research and Educational Topics and Trends in Applied 
Microbiology A. Méndez-Vilas (Ed.), p: 487-494; 
24. http://www.ams.usda.gov/standards/peanutbu.pdf 
25. Dean O Clayfire, translation Prof. Dr. Mesfer Al Daqel, Dr Ismaeell Al Shayb (2010), 
Food-Borne Diseases 
9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined 
Proposed date of entry into force: Six months after publicat ion in official Gazette 
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from the da te of circulation 
11. Texts available from: Nati onal enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization 
P.O. BOX: 3437 Riyadh 11471  
Tel: +966(1)4520000  Ext: (1378-1381-1383) Fax +966(1)4520193 Email: enquirypoint@saso.org.sa   
http://www.saso.gov.sa