المملكة: Urgent – Temporarily banning the import of poultry from France and Poland
Forced The Saudi Food and Drug AuthorityA temporary and immediate ban on the import of poultry meat, table eggs, and their products from two provinces in the Republics of France and Poland, in response to confirmed international reports of an outbreak of the disease Bird flu is highly virulent in those regions, in a proactive step aimed at protecting the Saudi market, ensuring the safety of food provided to consumers, and preventing the infiltration of cross-border epidemics.
The Asharqia Chamber circulated to all its subscribers the details of the urgent decision it received through the Union of Saudi Chambers, which is based on official cables from the Ministry of Commerce that include directives issued by the Food and Drug Authority regarding global epidemiological developments.
The decision includes a ban on imports from the province “Calvados” of France and the province of “Lodzkie” of Poland, based on the immediate notification reports issued by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) in late December 2025, which confirmed the presence of confirmed infections with the virus.
Excluded Products
The Authority excluded from this temporary ban shipments of poultry meat and table eggs that had undergone sufficient heat treatment to eliminate the highly virulent avian influenza virus, to ensure the continued flow of supplies. Safe for local markets without interruption.
In order to clear the excluded products, the regulatory authorities stipulated that they must fully comply with health requirements and standard specifications approved in the Kingdom, to ensure that they are free of any contaminants that may harm public health.
The Authority obligated importers to attach official health certificates issued by the approved authorities in both France and Poland, proving conclusively that the imported products are free of the virus that causes the disease or that they have been subjected to the heat treatment necessary to eliminate them.
The rapid action came after monitoring the report of the World Organization for Animal Health issued on December 18, 2025 regarding the situation in France, and the report issued on December 19, 2025 regarding the epidemiological situation in Poland.
Immediate commitment
These measures are based on the decisions of the Food and Drug General Authority issued on the fourth of Rajab 1447 AH, which reflect the vigilance of the regulatory authorities and their continuous follow-up of food safety reports in All countries of the world.
This ban aims to close any gap that may lead to the transmission of the disease to local livestock or affect the health of citizens and residents, while maintaining a balance between protecting public health and the availability of food products.
The Ministry of Commerce and the Federation of Saudi Chambers continue continuous coordination to circulate these controls to all importers and chamber of commerce subscribers to ensure immediate compliance and avoid any losses that may result from importing prohibited shipments.
- For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter
