The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has imposed a total ban on poultry and egg imports from 40 countries. The kingdom also announced a partial ban involving specific provinces and cities in 16 other countries.
The restrictions are part of the authority’s precautionary measures to protect public health and strengthen food safety standards in the local market, the Saudi Gazette reported. The SFDA said the list remains subject to regular review in response to global health developments.
Some countries have been banned in Saudi Arabia since 2004, while others have been gradually added over the years based on risk assessments and international reports regarding animal diseases, particularly outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to the latest update reviewed by Okaz newspaper and reported by the Saudi Gazette.
This approach demonstrates the agency’s continued commitment to closely monitoring the evolving global epidemiological landscape, the report said.
The latest blanket ban on poultry and egg imports from 40 countries (plus partial regional restrictions within 16 others) announced by Saudi Arabia’s SFDA is widely reported by major news outlets, but LiveMint could not find a corresponding announcement available on either the SFDA or any other official kingdom website.
India, 39 countries on the ban list
The total ban applies to 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, Nepal, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Egypt, Nepal, Mongolia, Egypt, Niger 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 the 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 exempted from the temporary ban if they fully comply with approved health requirements, regulations and standards.
These products must be accompanied by a veterinary certificate issued by the relevant official authorities in the country of origin confirming that the heat treatment or processing used is sufficient to eliminate the Newcastle disease virus. This exemption is granted without prejudice to the requirement that the product originate from an approved facility.
According to a report by The Times of India, the SFDA said the move is aimed at ensuring public health and food safety in the kingdom.
“The purpose of the decision is to protect public health and ensure the safety of food on the local market,” the authority said, adding that the list of banned countries is regularly revised based on global disease developments.
The aim of the decision is to protect public health and ensure food safety in the local market.
Global bird flu concerns
The latest restrictions come amid renewed global concerns about bird flu, leading to tighter monitoring of food imports and regular updates to regulatory frameworks.
