Importing meat to Saudi Arabia is one of the foreign trade activities that enter into many food industries, which explains the strict regulations and customs clearance procedures, and those who import meat from abroad feel many restrictions and this is the case with all food products imported into the country such as vegetables and fruits, but the conditions for importing meat are stricter than other foods, in order to protect the economy and public health.
Meat is imported from the list of countries authorized to export its meat to the Kingdom, which meets the requirements of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, with regard to the quality of meat, methods of packaging, methods of packaging, labeling and documentation, as the authority’s specialists conduct regular checks for meat shipments at airports and ports to ensure that all goods meet health standards.
The importance of understanding the conditions for importing meat lies in protecting your goods from confiscation and incurring financial fines, so this article deals with all the requirements that must be met to avoid any problems, as we refer to the conditions governing the import process, so that you can confidently import meat into the territory of the Kingdom.
Conditions for importing meat in Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is responsible for protecting the Saudi public by ensuring that companies that import meat to the Queen bring safe shipments for public consumption and meet the exact safety conditions required, and meat import means bringing sheep, goats, cows, calves, buffaloes, lamb, poultry and their products and equipment from abroad, and SFDA has organized the import process in accordance with the following conditions and controls:
- It is prohibited to import chilled and canned meat and all its products from any country with an epidemic disease stipulated in the Saudi veterinary quarantine system.
- All shipments of sheep, goats, cattle, calves and poultry meat should comply with the approved Gulf standard specifications contained in the relevant regulations for each type, in addition to the regulations that stipulate hygienic practices for processing, transportation, handling and storage, regulations for slaughter requirements in accordance with Islamic provisions, regulations for animal feed additives, health conditions for slaughterhouses and their employees, and packaged food labels.
- The goods must be accompanied by an Islamic slaughter certificate proving that the slaughter was carried out in an altar licensed in accordance with the provisions of Islamic Sharia and in which no pigs were slaughtered before, and the certificate includes the type of animal, its average age and the date of slaughter, in addition to a statement that it has been subject to inspection before and after slaughter and that it proves the safety of the meat and its suitability for human consumption.
- A health certificate proving that the animals or birds have not been fed feed made from animal protein, grease or animal waste and that they have not been injected with hormonal substances that stimulate growth must be attached.
- Meat must be free of internal entrails, head and limbs, and should not show any manifestations of rancidity and corruption.
- If the meat is frozen, its age should not exceed 4 months (the period between slaughter and the arrival of the shipment), and it should be kept at a freezing temperature not exceeding -18 degrees Celsius until it reaches the consumer.
- For packaging, it must be wrapped with appropriate materials that do not leave any toxic residues on the meat or cause contamination of the meat.
- For meat packing cut into small pieces, it should be packed in waxed cardboard or polyethylene containers.
- Chilled and frozen meat must be sealed using certified harmless ink that is easy to stick, and the diameter of the seal ranges between 6-10 cm, and the seal must include the country of origin, inspection and approval marks, in addition to the slaughterhouse number or registration number and the date of slaughter.
- Chilled, frozen and canned meat is shipped directly inside without stopping at the port of a third country, and in the event of a large distance between the Kingdom and the country of export and the absence of direct navigational flights, it can be shipped through other ports and airports in the shortest possible way, with the need for the transit port to contain all high-level equipment and that the meat is not exposed to harsh weather factors and shipments are not opened at all.
- If meat is shipped by air, it must be shipped in containers (LD3- AKE), and whatever the method of shipment by air, sea or land, the containers must be tightly sealed, waxed and sealed with the seal of the competent official authorities in the country of export, and not repacked, cut, canned or packaged in the third intermediate country.
- Offal of lamb, goats, cows, buffaloes and camels from non-infected countries shall be permitted to be imported, provided that they are sent in containers separate from meat containers, and that a health certificate confirming that the offal of healthy animals has undergone veterinary inspection at the slaughterhouse before and after slaughter.
- It is forbidden to import products manufactured from genetically modified animal products.
- The Saudi Food and Drug Authority shall set a list of countries allowed to export their products of animal origin according to health requirements, as well as the import shall be from food establishments authorized to export their products intended for human consumption, but for countries and establishments that do not comply with all the required meat import conditions, the SFDA issues an import license on a case-by-case basis after the importer submits an application to do so.
Customs clearance for meat imported into the Kingdom
It is important when importing meat into the Kingdom to use one of the customs clearance services to avoid delays, unnecessary expenses and possible damages to meat, under the conditions for importing meat set by the Kingdom, the importer may be exposed to paying a fine and loss of the goods if errors are found in the shipment, so customs clearance services ensure that the shipment arrives on time without carrying the burden of delay or routine procedures for customs clearance.
Border Support Company for customs clearance is a customs services and consulting company, which can help you simplify the process of importing meat and complete it better than the first time, contact us now to ensure that customs accept your goods and avoid delays and losses.
