SFDA Achieves Middle East First As Dammam Reference Laboratory Earns Accreditation For PFAS Monitoring In Food

SFDA Achieves Middle East First as Dammam Reference Laboratory Earns Accreditation for PFAS Monitoring in Food

Riyadh, June (پاکستان پوائنٹ نیوز ‎‎‎ 11 يونيو 2026ء) This accreditation represents a major step forward in protecting public health and elevating food safety standards across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. By strengthening laboratory readiness for the early detection of emerging chemical contaminants, the SFDA is expanding its scientific and regulatory capabilities in line with international best practices.

The SFDA emphasized that this achievement reflects Saudi Arabia’s accelerating progress in developing advanced national laboratory capabilities and strengthening its scientific infrastructure. These enhanced capabilities will enable the authority to address emerging global regulatory priorities and strengthen the reliability of monitoring systems for both imported and locally produced food. The achievement further underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to adopting internationally recognized scientific standards and ensuring a high level of consumer protection.

According to the SFDA, PFAS have globally become an increasing focus of regulatory attention because of their persistence in the environment and their ability to accumulate in water, soil, and food systems. Consequently, authorities in many countries have introduced stricter monitoring requirements and strengthened risk management measures to limit exposure and safeguard public health.

The newly accredited analytical method covers more than 20 of these persistent pollutants, including the four highest priority compounds for global regulation: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS); and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). Testing capabilities extend to meat, milk, drinking water, food packaging, and other food products.

The accreditation reflects the advanced technical and scientific capabilities achieved by the SFDA’s laboratories and highlights their role in strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a regional and international leader in food safety and laboratory oversight. Backed by a science-based regulatory framework and internationally recognized standards, the achievement contributes to supporting the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program under Saudi Vision 2030.