Abu Dhabi’s Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), Quality and Conformity Council (QCC), and Investment Office (ADIO) have launched a strategic initiative to create a unified regulatory framework for novel foods. The framework aligns with global best practices and introduces a streamlined registration system that is expected to shorten approval times by 6–9 months. It will consolidate requirements for novel food registration, halal certification, and production/impor

In October 2025, the East African Community (EAC)—comprising Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda—submitted four draft standards to the World Trade Organization that could affect food packaging and ingredient specifications across the region. Stakeholders are invited to provide comments by 30 November 2025. Key Draft Standards: DEAS 930:2025 – Paper and Board Food Contact Packaging Material — Specification. Establishes requirements, sampling procedures, and test metho

On 9 October, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States notified the Draft Standard “Table Olives” to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This Gulf Technical Regulation applies to the fruit of the cultivated olive tree (L. Olea europaea) as defined in section 3, which has been suitably processed and is intended for direct consumption as table olives or as bulk olives for repackaging in consumer-sized containers. It does not cover products intended for industrial proces

The Saudi Food & Drug Authority (SFDA) has opened a public consultation on its draft standard "SFDA 2539:2025 – Vitamins and Minerals...

Jordan has released draft standard JS 1907:2025, outlining requirements for fat spreads and blended spreads with a fat content between...

On 20 June, Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) published a draft regulation titled...

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) released Circular No. FS-CIR-004-V1/250515 establishing mandatory requirements for transporting...

On 22 May , the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Climate Change and Environment submitted a guideline to the World Trade Organization...

The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has launched a public consultation on a new draft African Standard for chocolate and chocolate...

On March 7, 2025, the Department of Health issued new regulations under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics, and Disinfectants Act of 1972,...

The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) is introducing a mandatory NutriMark system for front-of-package labelling. The new...

On 20 January, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) published the Draft Dietary Supplements...

The ban is due to a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus outbreak. On 7 January 2025, the SFDA notified the WTO on behalf of...