The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has temporarily banned chicken imports from a Brazilian company over safety concerns. This is the fifth Brazilian enterprise banned in the Kingdom over similar safety concerns. SFDA said in a statement that the ban has been imposed on products from the Brazilian company, Sab Comercio E Industria De Alimentos S, and will remain in place until the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) in Brazil provides the Authority with a detailed technical report on the safety of the company's goods. The ban followed a recommendation made to this effect by an inspection team that recently visited Brazil to assess the operations of meat-exporting establishments. The team met with officials of MAPA to evaluate the actions taken on the suspicious practices of some beef and poultry slaughterhouses exporting their products around the world, including Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is considered the largest importer of Brazilian poultry products in the Middle East. SFDA has instructed its inspectors at ports and entry points to be alert while handling samples of beef and poultry shipments from Brazil and subject them to detailed laboratory tests to ensure compliance with approved Gulf standards.
