Beef-eaters in Saudi Arabia can be assured that they will not be served meat sourced from 11 European countries, provided documentary credits have been used in transactions to import beef.

Saudi's ministry of commerce has appealed to merchants not to import beef from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

The ministry alleged that shipments of British beef unfit for human consumption had been shipped to third world countries via Belgium, France and Holland. It said that forged certificates of origin had been used to export contaminated meat and that documents regarding the fitness of meat for human consumption are intentionally concealed.

It urged Saudi importers to demand original and verified certificates of origin and to make conformity with official specifications a condition in any documentary credit used to finance beef imports. If a shipment does not conform to Saudi specifications, the importer would be liable according to a ministry source.

It also urged Saudi merchants to include a condition in any letter of credit used to guarantee a transaction that in case the shipment does not conform with Saudi specification, the importer shall bear the responsibility.

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