Five meat and poultry production factories in Saudi Arabia have been shut down due to violations of public health standards, as reported by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA).
According to SFDA inspections, products from these factories surpassed the microbial limits for Salmonella and E. coli, violating the SFDA.FD/GSO 1016 regulation.
The SFDA described these breaches as severe, citing the significant danger to consumers and public health, since both bacteria are leading causes of food poisoning. This is a clear violation of food safety laws, according to the SFDA.
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No specific details about the factories have been released yet.
Contamination with E. coli and Salmonella presents a grave public health threat, as these bacteria are primary sources of foodborne illnesses, potentially causing food poisoning outbreaks.
The SFDA has implemented all necessary legal actions against the offenders, noting that penalties for breaching the Food Law can include up to 10 years in jail, fines reaching 10 million Saudi riyals, or both.
The authority emphasized its zero-tolerance policy towards food safety violations, pledging to fully enforce penalties against offenders.
Consumers are urged to report any infractions or abuses of products under the SFDA’s jurisdiction via the hotline 19999.
Earlier, Saudi authorities warned against consuming Altarouti brand Chicken Frankfurt due to confirmed contamination with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, posing serious health risks.
The contaminated product has been recalled, and the factory’s production line halted.
