KUWAIT CITY, Dec 14: The Public Authority for Food and Nutrition (PAFN), acting on the recommendations of the Supreme Committee for Food Safety, has announced a series of decisions concerning the import of poultry products and table eggs, following updated assessments of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in several countries.

According to the authority, the ban on the import of all poultry meat—fresh, chilled, frozen, and processed—along with all related derivatives, products, and table eggs from Turkey has been lifted after the official end of the avian influenza outbreak in the country.

Similarly, import restrictions on poultry meat and table eggs from Bangladesh have also been lifted, allowing trade to resume following confirmation that the outbreak has been contained.

In a separate decision, the Supreme Committee for Food Safety approved the import of food products derived from cattle, in accordance with Article 11.4.2 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). This decision applies to countries previously subject to restrictions related to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), provided they meet the specified health and safety conditions.

However, the authority announced a new ban on the import of all poultry meat and table eggs from Mexico, citing an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The ban applies to all forms of poultry products, except those that have undergone sufficient heat treatment to eliminate the virus.

At the same time, PAFN confirmed the lifting of the ban on poultry imports from the People’s Republic of China, following the official declaration that the avian influenza outbreak there has ended.

In another update, the authority imposed a ban on poultry imports from the Santarem province in Portugal due to a confirmed outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The ban covers all poultry meat and table eggs, except for products that have been adequately heat-treated to neutralize the virus.

Meanwhile, the ban on poultry imports from the Vendas Novas region in Portugal has been lifted after health authorities confirmed the end of the outbreak in that area.

PAFN emphasized that all decisions are based on international health standards and ongoing monitoring of animal disease outbreaks, reaffirming Kuwait’s commitment to safeguarding public health and ensuring the safety of imported food products.