Saudi’s SFDA Warns Against Frozen Okra Imported From Egypt; Here’s Why

by Anupriya Mishra
Saudi’s SFDA Warns Against Frozen Okra Imported From Egypt; Here’s Why

Okra is also popularly known as lady’s fingers and is a flowering plant of the mallow family. The edible green pods aren’t just known for their many health benefits but are also known for their unique taste and make for an excellent ingredient for whipping up stews. However, if you have also been planning to buy frozen okra from the nearest grocery store, you might want to read this article. We say this because recently the Saudi Food & Drug Authority issued a warning regarding a frozen okra product imported from Egypt. Here’s all you need to know about the warning issued!

SFDA Warns Against Frozen Okra Imported From Egypt

Okra
Pic credits: Canva

The Saudi Food & Drug Authority has warned against frozen okra zero product, Sanabel that is imported from Egypt. This warning comes after insect infestation was discovered! As a result, it has warned the public, as it’s a violation of technical regulation, SFDA.FD/GSO 1978. For those who aren’t aware, this poses a potential health risk to consumers! According to a report by Caterers Middle East, this concern is for a specific product called Okra Zero, Sanabel with batch number BK3006NA, which weighs 400 grams. As a result, the SFDA has urged consumers to not buy this particular product and to dispose of any of the existing stock that they might have purchased.

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What Is The Saudi Food & Drug Authority?

Food Safety
Pic credits: Canva

As the top priority is to ensure the safety of the consumers, the SFDA closely monitors the quality of food products and how it adheres to safety standards. These measures are important as public health is on the line and it has been put in place to prevent any potential health hazards that can happen after consuming contaminated food items. In case people have any doubt about any food issues, they can reach out to the authority on a unified call centre by dialling 19999. It should be noted that this is not the first time that the SFDA has raised concerns regarding a food product. Earlier in March, it had temporarily banned Indian shrimp. After there were white spots discovered which is an indication of the presence of White Spot Syndrome Virus.

So, if you have also been planning to make okra stew or want to purchase from the nearest grocery store, then make sure to keep this notification in mind.

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