The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has imposed a total ban on poultry and egg imports from 40 countries. The Kingdom has also announced a partial ban covering specific provinces and cities in 16 other countries.
These restrictions are part of the authority’s precautionary measures to safeguard public health and strengthen food safety standards in the local market, Saudi Gazette reported. The SFDA said the list remains subject to periodic review in response to global health developments.
Some countries have been under ban in Saudi Arabia since 2004, while others have been added progressively over the years based on risk assessments and international reports concerning animal diseases, most notably outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to the latest update, reviewed by Okaz newspaper and reported by Saudi Gazette.
This approach demonstrates the authority’s ongoing commitment to closely monitoring the evolving global epidemiological landscape, the report said.
The latest sweeping poultry and egg import ban from 40 countries (plus partial restrictions on regions within 16 others) announced in Saudi Arabia by the SFDA is widely reported by major news outlets, but LiveMint could not find a corresponding notice available either on SFDA or any other official website of the Kingdom.
India, 39 Countries in the list of ban
The total ban covers the following 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.
The partial ban included some 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 Congo.
Why the ban?
The authority further clarified that poultry meat and related products that have undergone heat treatment or other processing methods sufficient 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 in the country of origin, confirming that the heat treatment or processing applied is adequate to eliminate the Newcastle disease virus. This exemption is granted without prejudice to the requirement that the product originates from an approved facility.
According to a report by The Times of Indiathe SFDA said the move was aimed at safeguarding public health and food safety in the Kingdom.
“The decision aims to protect public health and ensure food safety in the local market,” the authority has said, adding that the list of banned countries is reviewed regularly based on global disease developments.
The decision aims to protect public health and ensure food safety in the local market.
Global bird flu concerns
The latest restrictions come amid renewed global concerns over bird flu, prompting tighter monitoring of food imports and periodic updates to regulatory frameworks.
