Jordan Imposes Microbiological Standards on Spices, Condiments and Their Products

Jordan has established microbiological criteria for spices, condiments, and their products to ensure safety and quality in food production and handling

Compliance Answer: Microbiological Criteria for Spices, Condiments, and Their Products in Jordan

Jordan has established microbiological criteria for spices, condiments, and their products to ensure food safety and quality. The regulatory framework is defined under the Hygiene affairs and food safety – Microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, Part 3: Spices, condiments and their products¹. Below is a structured breakdown of the requirements, timeline, and responsible authorities.

1. Regulatory Scope and Objective

The standard applies to spices, condiments, and their products listed in Table (1) of the notified document¹. Its primary objectives are:

• Protection of human health and safety by preventing microbiological contamination.
• Quality requirements to ensure compliance with food safety standards.

The regulation aligns with international benchmarks (e.g., GSO 1016:2015, UAE.S 1016:2017) but is tailored to Jordan’s legal framework.

2. Key Requirements

While the full Table (1) criteria are detailed in the Arabic-language document, the following general obligations apply to food business operators (FBOs) and regulators:

Microbiological Limits

• Specific thresholds for pathogens (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus) and hygiene indicators (e.g., total plate count, yeasts/molds) are prescribed for spices and condiments¹.
• Example criteria (exact values require reference to Table (1) in the standard):
  • Absence of Salmonella in 25g samples.
  • Limits for Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens where applicable.

Sampling and Testing

• FBOs must conduct microbiological testing at critical control points (e.g., post-processing, packaging)¹.
• Testing methods must comply with internationally recognized standards (e.g., ISO, GSO).

Compliance and Enforcement

• Products failing to meet criteria are deemed non-compliant and subject to recall, destruction, or reprocessing.
• The Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO) is the enforcement authority.

3. Timeline and Implementation

4. Responsible Authorities

• Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO)
  • Lead agency for adoption, enforcement, and public consultation.
  • Contact: `jsmo@jsmo.gov.jo` / `enquiry@jsmo.gov.jo`.
• WTO/TBT Enquiry Point (Jordan)
  • Handles international notifications and stakeholder feedback.

5. Relevant Documents and References

The standard references regional and international frameworks for harmonization, including:

• GSO Technical Regulation 1016:2015 (Gulf Standardization Organization).
• UAE.S 1016:2017 (UAE).
• Syrian Standard 2179:2025.

Note: The full microbiological criteria (Table 1) are available in Arabic via the¹(https://jsmo.gov.jo/EBV4.0/Root_Storage/AR/DJS_2013-3_2026.pdf).

Summary Answer

Jordan’s Hygiene affairs and food safety – Microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, Part 3: Spices, condiments and their products¹ establishes mandatory microbiological limits for spices and condiments to protect public health and ensure quality. The standard, notified under WTO/TBT procedures, will be adopted on 1 June 2026 and enforced from 1 August 2026. Key requirements include pathogen thresholds (e.g., Salmonella absence) and hygiene indicators, with compliance enforced by the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO). Stakeholders may submit comments until 23 March 2026. The regulation aligns with regional standards (e.g., GSO 1016:2015) but is specific to Jordan’s legal framework.

Sources

1. ↩ Hygiene affairs and food safety – Microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, Part 3: Spices, condiments and their products https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=Q:/G/TBTN26/JOR87.pdf&Open=True