Meat giant BRF said Saudi Arabia has temporarily blocked chicken imports from two of its sites in Brazil due to “alleged violations” in the production of feed and premix.

The facilities in question are located in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, in Dois Vizinhos and Francisco Beltrão, according to a statement from Sao Paulo-headquartered BRF. However, it added that one site – Francisco Beltrão – was not currently exporting to Saudi Arabia, although the other ships around 6,000 tons of product a month.

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The ban has been instigated by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), which, according to BRF, has noted  
“that the measure is temporary and requests from the Brazilian authorities, among other measures, more details about the investigations carried out between 2014 and 2018 regarding alleged violations conducted by the company in the production of feed and premix, a preparation containing vitamins and amino acids”.

BRF said it still has another five plants exporting to Saudi Arabia and has switched production from the affected sites, which for the time being will serve other markets, until the matter has been resolved.

In December, Brazilian prosecutors formally administered charges on mostly former employees of BRF in connection with a criminal probe into falsifying records. The case relates to a federal police investigation begun in 2018 known as Trapaça in Portuguese which translates to ‘trickery’, and was derived from another probe dubbed Carne Fraca, or ‘Weak Flesh’. 

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At the time, Reuters reported, citing claims filed by prosecutors in Paraná, the charges revolved around evidence of falsification of documents and labels between 2012 and 2018, and adulteration of ingredients in nutritional additive products for livestock feed. 

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BRF added in its statement: “The company has cooperated fully and continuously with Brazilian and international authorities in the clarification of the matter and does not tolerate any quality or integrity deviation in its production process. Thus, it has intensified and expanded its internal controls, compliance and quality structures in recent years aiming to guarantee strict adherence to any, and all, worldwide sanitary legislations.”