The Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted a food specification for the maamoul product during its 49th session in Geneva, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Food and Drug, leading the preparation work within the coordinating committee of the Codex Alimentarius for the Near East countries.
The adoption of the standard contributes to unifying the technical requirements for the maamoul product and supports the entry of high-quality national products into regional and international markets, especially since the Kingdom is considered one of the leading producers of it, as it is among the products that support the processing industries for dates.
Maamoul is one of the baked products made from flour or semolina, consisting of dough typically filled with date paste or nuts.
This adoption is an extension of the Kingdom's participation, represented by the General Authority for Food and Drug, in the development of regional and international food specifications and in unifying their technical requirements, which enhances the safety of food products and facilitates their trade and supports the Authority's goals in consumer protection.
It is worth mentioning that the Kingdom previously participated in chairing the international working group responsible for preparing the first international standard for fresh dates and has held the position of Vice President of the Codex Alimentarius since 2024.