Head of Peasants’ Syndicate Denies Claims of Insect-Infested Okra Exports
The head of the Peasants’ Syndicate in Egypt, Hussein Abdel Rahman Abu Saddam, announced that he had contacted the relevant Egyptian authorities regarding the validity of what is being raised about the fact that some exported okra fruits contain insects.
Egyptian Authorities Confirm False Claims
Abu Saddam pointed out in statements to RT that these matters are not true, according to what has been declared by the concerned and responsible Egyptian authorities, and that this is completely false, adding that the matter has been discussed with the Food Safety Authority as it responsibility for frozen products, and not agricultural quarantine, and confirmed the incorrectness of this statement.
And that the Egyptian okra is completely free from any insect infestation, and it is not allowed to export any product that does not meet international standards.
Statement from Egyptian Authorities Expected
He explained that the authorities would issue a statement on the matter within a few hours to respond to what had been circulated by some newspapers and websites, noting that Egypt’s current coding system details where the crops are grown, its source and all the data relating to any product destined for export, making it easier to deal with any error that may occur without damaging the reputation of the rest of the crop.
Record High in Egyptian Agricultural Exports
He stressed that Egyptian agricultural exports in the last months of 2023 reached a record high, jumping to almost 5 million tons, in light of the implementation of several strict procedures that have boosted demand from all over the world, as Egypt exports products to more than 160 countries. world, and the stone is controlled. The Egyptian Agricultural Company checks all products before they are exported, in order to meet the requirements of importing countries with particular accuracy.
Okra: A Valuable Egyptian Vegetable
And Abdel Rahman added that okra is the most expensive type of Egyptian vegetable, with a price per kilogram locally reaching around 50 pounds, putting it lower among Egyptian agricultural exports, which amounted to about 5 million tons during the first half of 2023. of the year.
Warnings from Saudi Arabian and Omani Authorities
The Saudi Arabian Food and Drug Administration has warned against eating frozen zero product brand okra (Sanabel), which is made in Egypt.
The Center for Food Safety and Quality in the Sultanate of Oman, through the Gulf Food Rapid Alert System, has warned of an insect infestation in a product made from Egyptian okra.
Source: RT
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