Some Egyptian fruit, vegetable imports banned

JEDDAH: Importers have revealed that the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has halted import of some vegetables and fruits from Egypt, after tests earlier this year proved they are unsuitable for human consumption.
They pointed out that the SFDA began making notes on agricultural products that come from some countries, including Egypt, before the US Department of Agriculture did.
Traders had to make several contacts with the Egyptian exporting authorities to learn the reasons behind the appearance of such vegetables and fruits, in order to reach compromises to start compensatory measures.
Maher Al-Oqaili, an importer of frozen vegetables, explained that SFDA deals firmly with food imports, although it has agreements with several exporting countries that require safety of health certificates awarded to any food product, especially fruits and vegetables.
This comes at a time when the US Department of Agriculture revealed that laboratory analysis confirmed that some agricultural products were irrigated with sewage water, which contaminated many food items exported by Egypt with human and animal waste.
Materials predominantly used in the burial of the dead were also discovered, according to a report on some of Egypt’s agricultural exported products in the form of frozen vegetables such as mulukhiya, spinach, okra, peas, green beans and artichokes, which are major cause of hepatitis A.
According to the report, the US Department of Agriculture is taking very strict measures with Egyptian imports to prevent the import of strawberries or any Egyptian agricultural products contaminated with sewage.
New strict conditions on frozen vegetables coming from Egypt to the US were set, in addition to calls to wash it with pure and filtered water. Laboratory data confirmed that mango and guava products are exposed to the internationally banned processes of adding color and taste. This could lead to the possibility of causing diseases such as renal failure, liver disease, and adverse effects on blood pressure.
The report is not limited to fruits and vegetables, but also prevents the import of cheese from Egypt after analysis revealed presence of formalin used in preserving dead bodies. The report highlighted the use of white lime, which is used in the installation of tiles, in imported Egyptian rice, which could lead to cancer.