The Ministry of Commerce and Industry denied press reports that a shipment of frozen chicken rejected entrance in Jordan on the pretext of unsuitable for human use, was cleared by Saudi customs authorities without conducting the customary laboratory tests. In a statement, Dr. Hamad bin Abdulhameed Aloafi, the Director General of Laboratories and Quality Control at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, made the denial commenting on media reports that the vessel Santiago Star, left Alaqaba port of Jordan carrying on board a payload of 1100 tons of Brazilian-origin chilled chicken after being rejected entry by Jordanian customs authorities following its failure to pass Jordanian food and medicine department standards. Upon reaching Jeddah port, the vessel was laden with 800 tons of chicken bound for Jordanian merchants and 1373 tons of chicken and cow meat for eight Saudi merchants, he said. Just for procedural arrangements, the laborers in the port were forced to unload the Jordan-bound shipment, keep it in the ground freezers at the airport before re-loading it. This process should take place first to pave the way for unloading the Jeddah-bound shipment from the lower cargo deck, Aloafi explained. He said Saudi standards were strictly applied on the shipment sent to Saudi merchants. To this effect, the consignment in question was completely complying with the Saudi clearance laws, he said, urging the press not to publish unconfirmed sensitive reports before checking with all parties concerned.
