RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has issued a decision that temporarily bans the import of poultry meat, table eggs and their products from Landes, Pyrenees-Atlantiques and Gers in France due to the spread of bird flu in these areas.

The authority said that the ban was made after following up on the report issued by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) regarding registering new cases of spread of severe bird flu in these three areas.

The authority’s ban decision excluded poultry meat and table eggs that go through thermal processing, which is enough to ensure eliminating the bird flu virus, provided that these products match accredited health conditions, constraints and standards with enclosing a health certificate issued by accredited relevant authorities in France proving that these products are free from the virus. — SPA