Saudi Arabia temporarily suspends imports from two BRF chicken producing units

On Monday 17/02, BRF divulged that Saudi Arabia’s health authorities have temporarily suspended two of its slaughterhouses from exporting chicken to the country, pending more information about alleged violations regarding the kind of feed and premix being used.

“SFDA (Saudi Arabian Food and Drug Administration) informs that the measure is temporary and asks Brazilian authorities, among others, for more details about the investigations conducted between 2014 and 2018 on alleged violations committed by the company in the production of feed and premix, a preparation containing vitamins and amino acids,” said BRF, citing that it only became aware of this action by the SFDA the day before the suspension started.

The measure affects Dois Vizinhos and Francisco Beltrão units located in Paraná, with only the first unit already exporting to Saudi Arabia, with volumes of around 6,000 tons per month. “The company has already started adjusting production redirection to its other plants until the facts are duly clarified, and it still has five plants that are able to export to Saudi Arabia. The Dois Vizinhos and Francisco Beltrão units will be used meanwhile to serve other markets ”, said the statement.

BRF also reiterated that it has been cooperating unreservedly and continuously with Brazilian and international authorities to dispel misconceptions and does not tolerate any deviations in quality and integrity in its production process.  It said “in this way, the company has intensified and expanded its structure of internal controls, compliance and quality in recent years in order to ensure strict adherence to any and all global health legislation.”

At the end of 2019, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office of Paraná denounced 11 people in connection with ‘Operation Cheat’ involving BRF, in which prosecutors accused company employees of using “substances prohibited by Brazilian law in the manufacture of compounds added to the feed”.

Source: Reuters

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