The decision was issued by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) as part of efforts to safeguard public health and strengthen food safety standards in the Kingdom. Officials said the restrictions are based on global disease risk assessments and will be reviewed periodically.
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New Delhi: Saudi Arabia has imposed a complete ban on poultry meat and table egg imports from 40 countries, including India and China, citing concerns over bird flu and other animal diseases.
The decision was issued by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) as part of efforts to safeguard public health and strengthen food safety standards in the Kingdom. Officials said the restrictions are based on global disease risk assessments and will be reviewed periodically.
40 Countries Face Complete Ban
Imports of poultry products and table eggs have been fully suspended from 40 countries, including Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Bangladesh, South Africa, Iraq, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Egypt, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Japan, Sudan, Serbia, the United Kingdom, and others. Some countries have been on the banned list since 2004, while others were added later due to fresh outbreaks.
Partial Restrictions on 16 Countries
In addition to the blanket ban, partial restrictions have been imposed on specific states or regions in 16 countries, including the United States, Australia, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, France, Canada, Malaysia, Austria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The SFDA clarified that these restrictions apply only to affected regions rather than entire countries.
Heat-Treated Products May Be Allowed
The authority stated that poultry products that have undergone proper heat treatment may be exempted from the temporary ban, provided strict conditions are met. These include:
Saudi authorities said the list of restricted countries and regions will continue to be updated depending on the global animal health situation.
