The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has demanded that all refrigerated meat importers must comply with the technical regulations, standards and specifications for foods. SFDA Executive Director Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Al-Kanhal stressed that it will not clear any imported meat not meeting the GCC standards and specifications as of March 13, 2012. It appealed to foodstuff importers to include in their import contracts, stipulations that guarantee their rights vis-à-vis the exporter in case the imported foodstuff is proved not to be in conformity with the approved standards and specifications or if the accompanying certificates are not authentic. The SFDA noted that the importer will be held responsible in case of violation of these standards. In a circular, the authority called on the concerned refrigerated meat importers to fully comply with the requirements of the technical regulations and the approved standards for foods as well as the Gulf standards M.G.Kh. No.997/1998 for refrigerated and frozen cattle and buffalo beef as well as sheep and goat mutton, particularly clause 8/2/5 that stipulates that the means of transport should be prepared in such a way that the refrigerated full, half and quarter carcasses can be hanged or they can be placed on suitable tables. They must also conform with clause 8/2/6, which stipulates that the temperature of refrigerated meat should not exceed minus 5 degrees Centigrade. There should also be sufficient gaps between frozen carcasses or meat. It is necessary to abide by the requirements of the Gulf standards M.G.Kh. No. 323/1994 on general conditions for the transportation and storage of refrigerated and frozen foods, particularly clause No. 4/2/4, which stipulates that the means of transport ought to provided with a temperature recorder since loading of the refrigerated meat in the container until its arrival in the importer's cold stores. The authority's circular mandates that it is necessary for the container to be pre-cooled at sufficient time before loading the meat and the loading and unloading should be carried out as fast as possible and the cooling machines should not stop during the loading and unloading until the consignment reaches the importer's warehouses. – SG __
