Ammon News - The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) conducted 69,007 regulatory inspections during fiscal year 2024, with significant enforcement actions across food safety, pharmaceutical compliance, and medical device oversight, the agency announced Sunday.

The comprehensive regulatory program, detailed by JFDA Director General Nizar Mheidat, demonstrated heightened scrutiny across all sectors, with food safety inspections accounting for 66,422 facility visits.

Pharmaceutical compliance officers conducted 2,172 inspections of drug manufacturing facilities, wholesale operations, and retail pharmacies, while medical device and cosmetics establishments underwent 413 regulatory reviews.

Enforcement metrics revealed 2,084 violations cited across sectors, with food safety infractions leading at 1,632 cases.

The agency issued cease-and-desist orders to 523 facilities and imposed production holds on 2,312 operations. Warning letters totaled 35,495, predominantly in the food sector.

"Our compliance initiatives resulted in significant product seizures," Mheidat said. These included approximately 3,058 metric tons of food products and 137,065 liters of liquid commodities. Additional administrative holds were placed on 5,307 tons of food items pending laboratory analysis.

Import screening operations processed 46,106 customs declarations, covering approximately 2.5 million tons of imported food products.

The agency's import alert system identified 131 non-compliant shipments, representing 0.07 percent of total import volume. Officials ordered destruction of 243 tons and mandated re-export of 1,659 tons of non-compliant products.

Laboratory operations conducted 689,764 analytical tests on 67,422 samples, including 58,171 food specimens and 3,962 pharmaceutical samples.

The agency's consumer complaint system processed 5,307 reports through designated channels.

Mheidat highlighted modernization efforts, including the implementation of digital inspection protocols and new traceability regulations.

"The agency has strengthened its regulatory framework through new food tracking requirements and pharmaceutical registration protocols designed to enhance supply chain security," he said.

Consumer protection initiatives included expanded awareness programs focusing on critical violations and promoting industry self-compliance measures.