The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has denied reports that consuming meat during the withdrawal period of veterinary medicines can cause liver and kidney diseases, including cancerous tumors, in humans.
The withdrawal period is the minimum time between an animal's last dose of veterinary medicine and the production of food from that animal.
The length of the withdrawal period depends on the active ingredient and method of administration.
The ministry explained that infection control
vaccines have a globally specific prohibition period, viral diseases' antibiotics have a precise withdrawal period, and external inflammatory diseases' mastitis-abscess are subject to a temporary withdrawal period.
The Ministry and the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases (WEQAA) are overseeing the inspection of over 380 slaughterhouses in Saudi Arabia to ensure animals have not been injected with veterinary preparations.
Over 1,050 veterinarians examine over 22,000 carcasses daily to ensure they are safe, disease-free, and injury-free.
The ministry urges citizens and residents to have their animals slaughtered in official slaughterhouses under their supervision.
The text describes the role of the ministry and WEQAA in monitoring the use of veterinary products in the Kingdom.
They conduct inspections at outlets selling veterinary preparations to ensure establishments follow standards and clarify withdrawal periods to consumers.
The regulatory authorities have high standards for clearing veterinary medicines.
The ministry also supervises veterinary pharmacies, adhering to specific requirements, to ensure medicine storage conditions and expiry dates are met.