RIYADH, 17 September — The Kingdom and France have agreed to ensure that French poultry imported into Saudi Arabia would be of high quality and free from “Ostradiol” and “MPA” hormones.
The agreement was reached after delegates of the Ministry of Commerce’s Quality Control Laboratories Department and its French counterpart held wide-ranging talks here in the wake of Riyadh’s ban on poultry imports from European Union countries. The two sides also agreed that French poultry consignments would carry a health certificate from the authorities concerned, endorsing that the poultry is free from these hormones.
A Commerce Ministry statement issued here said: “As a result of the talks held between the representatives of the Department of Quality Control Laboratories at the Commerce Ministry and their French counterparts, and in the light of the clarifications made by the French side and the procedures undertaken by the concerned French authorities to ensure the good quality of poultry exported to the Kingdom, the following has been agreed upon: “First, the Saudi laboratories will examine shipments of chickens that arrive at the Kingdom’s ports in cooperation with the Research Center at King Faisal Specialist Hospital to confirm that the imported poultry is free from “MPA” and “Ostradiol” hormones.
“Secondly, French shipments of chickens to the Kingdom should carry a health certificate issued by the official authority concerned confirming that they are free from hormones or harmful materials.
“The certificate should also confirm that the chickens conform to Saudi standards and specifications mentioned in the ministerial decision No. 123, dated 16/1/10422 AH.”
On Sunday, Al-Watan newspaper reported that the temporary ban on European Union poultry imports was likely to be lifted this week.
