On August 23, 2026, the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality organization (SASO) issued a circular to all accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), setting out clear requirements for the labeling of facial tissue products. The circular emphasized that CABs must strictly verify the accuracy of product labeling information to prevent misleading practices such as counting plies as separate tissues, and to ensure that labeling information complies with Saudi Arabia's Technical Regulation for Paper and Cardboard and standard SASO GSO 575. The circular noted that during product verification and re‑testing at accredited laboratories, SASO had identified non‑conformities in the labeling information of certain facial tissue products, particularly with regard to the indication of the number of tissues and the number of plies.

SASO emphasizes to all accepted Conformity Assessment Bodies the necessity of verifying that the product complies with the mandatory requirements stipulated in the applicable Technical Regulation and referenced Standard, and verifying the accuracy of the labeling information stated on the packaging and its consistency with the actual characteristics and contents of the product.

For the purposes of applying the labeling requirements, each unit of tissue paper consisting of two or more plies, suitably bonded together, shall be considered one tissue. Accordingly, the actual number of tissues contained in the package shall be indicated, and the number of plies constituting each tissue shall be stated separately and clearly.

The plies of a tissue shall not be counted as additional tissues, nor shall any wording, symbol, or method of presentation be used that may mislead the consumer regarding the actual number of tissues or the number of plies constituting each tissue.

Conformity Assessment Bodies shall also verify that products placed on the market conform to the model or type that was evaluated, in terms of technical characteristics, contents, and approved labeling information.

Meanwhile, SASO has provided clarifications and interpretations of the provisions in SASO GSO 575:

Standard clause — (2.3): "Tissue paper: composed of two or more plies of paper fiber material suitably bonded together, and packaged under hygienic conditions."

Interpretation:

The term "tissue paper" refers to a single unit composed of two or more plies suitably bonded together and packaged in accordance with hygienic requirements. This unit is considered one tissue, and each of its constituent plies shall not be counted as a separate tissue.

Standard clause — (4.1.8): "The number of tissues in each box or plastic package shall be indicated in clear, bold, large characters, along with a color or mark indicating the color of the tissues; in the case of two‑color boxes, only the term 'two‑color' shall be mentioned."

Interpretation:

The number stated on the box or plastic package must represent the actual total number of tissue units contained inside. The number of tissues shall not be calculated based on the sum of plies, nor shall any wording, symbol, or method of presentation be used that may lead consumers to believe that each ply constitutes an independent tissue. In addition, the color of the tissues must be indicated or a mark denoting it must be placed; if the package contains tissues of two colors, the phrase "two‑color" shall be stated in accordance with the standard requirements.

Standard clause — (6.1.8): "Number of plies per tissue."

Interpretation:

The number of plies constituting each tissue must be clearly stated, and this statement shall be independent of the total number of tissues in the package. For example:

400 tissues – two‑ply

300 tissues – three‑ply

200 tissues – five‑ply

The number of tissues and the number of plies shall not be combined into a single figure, so as to avoid implying that there are more tissues in the package than the actual count.

Example of correct labeling information for tissues:

Quantity: 400 tissues

Ply: Two-ply

Actual situation: Each package contains 400 tissues, and each tissue is two-ply. The above labeling information is correct.

Example of incorrect labeling information for tissues:

Quantity: 800 tissues

Ply: Two-ply

Actual situation: Each package contains 400 tissues, and each tissue is two-ply. The above labeling information is incorrect.

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