The Saudi Food & Drug Authority has issued a temporary ban on beef imported to Saudi Arabia from the United States. On May 2, 2012, the Saudi FDA issued decision 33/90 preventing the import of all beef products from the U.S. due to a confirmed case of BSE, bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
The decision broadens the restrictions recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture in decision 221947, effective May 1, 2012. The Ministry of Agriculture decision prevented the importation of live cattle from the state of California, while the Saudi FDA expanded the restrictions to include all beef products from the U.S.
Both the Saudi FDA and the Ministry of Agriculture based their decisions on the findings of the World Organization for Animal Health reported on April 26, 2012. OIE Report 11893 details the outbreak of BSE begun April 19, 2012 and confirmed April 23, 2012 in the state of California. The confirmed case is a reoccurrence of the disease affecting cattle previously reported in 2006.
The ban on beef and live cattle will remain in place until the Saudi FDA and the Ministry of Agriculture can evaluate the risks to the U.S. beef supply and ensure the safety of all imports to the Kingdom. Saudi FDA guidelines regarding ban and ban lifting procedures require the Authority to confirm the absence of any outbreak in the exporting country and verify the safety precautions in place. The Authority will also review the methods used by the exporting country to verify safety and confirm the results with the relevant international organizations. The ban and the guidelines ensure the protection of Saudi Arabia from any infectious or food borne disease transmittable to humans or animals.
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