Saudi Trade Alert: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has imposed a complete ban on poultry and egg imports from 40 countries. The Kingdom has also announced partial bans in specific provinces and cities from 16 other countries.
According to a Saudi Gazette report, these bans are part of the authority’s precautionary measures to protect public health and strengthen food safety standards in the local market. The SFDA stated that the list is periodically reviewed in response to global health developments.
According to the latest update, reviewed by Okaz newspaper and reported by the Saudi Gazette, some countries have been banned in Saudi Arabia since 2004, while other countries have been gradually added over the years based on risk assessments and international reports related to the spread of animal diseases, particularly highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The report states that this approach demonstrates the authority’s continued commitment to closely monitoring the global epidemiological environment.
The recent major ban on poultry and egg imports from 40 countries (as well as some restrictions on 16 other territories) announced by the SFDA in Saudi Arabia was widely reported by major news outlets, but LiveMint did not find any related notice on the SFDA or any other official website of the Kingdom.
India, 39 countries on the list of banned countries
The complete ban is limited to these 40 countries. These include India, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Djibouti, South Africa, China, Iraq, Ghana, Palestine, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, South Korea, North Korea, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Japan, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Serbia, Slovenia, Ivory Coast, and Montenegro.
This partial ban included certain provinces and cities in 16 countries, including Australia, the United States, Italy, Belgium, Bhutan, Poland, Togo, Denmark, Romania, Zimbabwe, France, the Philippines, Canada, Malaysia, Austria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Why the ban?
The authority further clarified that poultry meat and related products that have been heat-treated or processed to eliminate the Newcastle disease virus will be exempt from the temporary ban, provided they fully comply with approved health requirements, regulations, and standards.
Such products must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the competent official authorities of the country of origin, confirming that the heat treatment or processing performed is sufficient to eliminate the Newcastle disease virus. This exemption is granted without any restriction on the requirement that the product be produced in an approved facility.
According to a report in The Times of India, the SFDA stated that the move is aimed at protecting public health and food safety in the Kingdom.
The authority stated, “This decision is aimed at protecting public health and ensuring the safety of food in the local market,” adding that the list of banned countries is regularly reviewed based on disease developments worldwide.
This decision is aimed at protecting public health and ensuring the safety of food in the local market.
Worldwide Bird Flu Concerns
These new bans come amid renewed global concerns about bird flu, which has led to stricter monitoring of food imports and periodic updates to the regulatory framework.
(With inputs from agency)