Key Development 

Saudi Arabia Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has enforced an import ban on poultry meat and table egg imports from 40 countries. The authority has also imposed partial restrictions on selected regions across 16 additional countries. The SFDA took this step as a preventive measure to protect public health and strengthen food safety standards in the domestic market. The authority reviews the list of restricted countries regularly. It updates the restrictions in line with global disease outbreaks and epidemiological developments. Officials said they base these decisions on scientific risk assessments and international animal disease reports, especially those linked to highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Long-Standing and Gradual Restrictions

Some of the import bans have remained in place since 2004. Over the years, the authority has expanded the list gradually, responding to emerging disease risks and updated global health data.

Countries Under Full Import Ban

The SFDA has imposed a complete ban on poultry and egg imports from the following countries: 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, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Serbia, Slovenia, Côte d’Ivoire and Montenegro.

Partial Restrictions in Selected Regions

The authority has applied partial restrictions to specific states or cities in Australia, the United States, Italy, Belgium, Bhutan, Poland, Togo, Denmark, Romania, Zimbabwe, France, the Philippines, Canada, Malaysia, Austria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The SFDA clarified that the temporary ban does not cover heat-treated poultry meat and related products, provided they meet approved health and safety standards.

Source: Gulf News