Saudi Arabia has stopped beef and poultry imports from four Brazilian companies over concerns about food safety after accusations that individuals had been bribed to allow sales of rotten and salmonella-tainted meats.

Brazilian beef exports to Saudi Arabia in the first 10 months of 2016 totaled almost 24,000 Tones, according to a study by Meat and Livestock Australia, a research service.

Brazil is one of the biggest beef and chicken exporters around the world, and it represents approximately one-fifth of global exports. Inspecting the possibility of these foods being rotten can cause a low blow to food industry around the globe, including importers, shippers, manufacturers and all types of clients.

Such international crisis will, with no doubt, affect national markets as well after the export ban resolution, considering the fact that most national restaurants mostly sell their meals which are made of Brazilian poultry. It is estimated that KSA imports around 800,000 tons of meat with the cost of more than $ 4 million.

That is to say that such crisis requires UAE importers to take the needed precautions and to find alternatives to imported meat with finding a plan B for consistency in the meantime. There are other alternatives that can be taken into consideration rather than Brazil, like importing from Ireland or Australia.

 

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has directed its inspectors at ports to be doubly vigilant when inspecting beef and poultry shipments from Brazil to ensure their compliance with GCC standards. The SFDA action has been prompted by media reports of fraudulent health certificates being issued by corrupt Brazilian inspectors, certifying contaminated meat as fit for consumption.

It is currently monitoring developments in this regard through its Monitoring Center and the Risk Assessment Department and will announce precautionary measures if necessary.

 

The fallout from Brazil's rotten meat scandal accelerated Monday when China, a huge client, suspended imports and the European Union demanded a partial ban.

Brazil tried to reassure the world last Sunday that its huge meat industry poses no threat — with President Michel Temer even inviting ambassadors to a steak dinner — despite allegations that corrupt exporters sold tainted products.

Brazilian meat is exported to more than 150 countries, with principal markets also including Japan, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Sales in 2016 reached US$5.9 billion in poultry and US$4.3 billion in beef, according to Brazilian government data. Total meat exports amount to about seven percent of exports and 0.7 percent of the gross domestic product, according to Capital Economics.

 

Sources: Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) - Saudigazette - Alriyadh