Cairo: Saudi Arabia has announced that three expatriates will face trial on charges of food adulteration, according to prosecutors.
The defendants are accused of dealing in expired food by storing and displaying over 55 tonnes of poultry of unknown origin.
Investigations revealed that the defendants had replaced the original labels on the poultry with fake ones showing false expiry dates and production origins.
After their arrest and subsequent investigations, they were referred to the appropriate court. Prosecutors are seeking penalties under Saudi Arabia’s anti-commercial fraud and commercial data laws.
If convicted, each defendant could face fines of up to SR500,000 or a maximum of two years in prison, or both. Details about when or where the case first surfaced were not immediately available.
Last week, authorities in Riyadh seized approximately 5 tons of poultry that had exceeded their sell-by dates after their expiry labels were tampered with. Inspectors from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) also discovered meat of unknown origin stored in the same warehouse, apparently intended for sale in food stores and markets.
All the expired poultry and meat were destroyed. Additionally, the facility received a SR500,000 fine for violating Saudi Arabia’s food laws, which prohibit the sale of adulterated food or the use of deceptive practices against consumers, as per SFDA.
Earlier this month, officials in Jeddah reported seizing 300kg of spoiled meat en route to a local restaurant. The Jeddah municipality intercepted the meat inside a truck, which emitted a foul smell. Upon inspection, authorities found the cargo unfit for human consumption.
