The Saudi ministry of commerce has decided to ban temporarily the import of all kinds and products of chilled, frozen and canned meat, either sheep or cows, from Iran, India and Taiwan following the discovery of two cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the Kingdom on Thursday, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
“The general administration of the laboratories and quality control should carry out the decision, informing the relevant authorities,” said a ministry statement.
It added that the decision “aims at ensuring the public interest and preservation of the safety and health of the consumer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Two calves infected with the foot-and-mouth disease were discovered in Yanbu area.
A commission, headed by Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, has been formed to prevent the disease from spreading.
The disease also spread in UAE, where twenty-two cases were reported.
Saudi Arabia and UAE have already banned cattle imports from the European Union over fears of mad cow disease.
A ban on imports of meat and dairy products from Britain has been in effect since the outbreak of the disease.
Farming and rural tourism has been ravaged in Britain where vast swathes of countryside have been turned into no-go areas, with people asked to avoid all unnecessary journeys in affected regions.
On Tuesday, the disease was confirmed for the first time in France, prompting the US and Canada to temporarily ban meat and livestock imports from the EU – Albawaba.com
