Around 600,000 Tonnes of Meat is Wasted Yearly in Saudi Arabia

Around 600,000 tonnes of meat is wasted yearly in Saudi Arabia, according to the data of the National Program for Reducing Food Loss and Waste in the Kingdom, which is one of the programs of the General Food Security Authority (GFSA). 

GFSA shared this information while they were discussing the quantities of meat and poultry that are lost and wasted yearly in the country and the authority has called for the reduction of this wastage. 

According to GFSA's data, more than 444,000 tonnes of poultry, more than 22,000 tonnes of mutton, and 13,000 tonnes of camel meat have been wasted. Furthermore, 41,000 tonnes of cow meat and 69,000 tonnes of fish have been wasted.

The GFSA previously explained that the reasons for meat wastage are buying large quantities of food, squandering offers, and preparing unnecessary quantities of food. 

In 2022, it was revealed that the value of food waste exceeded SR40 billion yearly in the Kingdom and the percentage of food wastage reached 33%.

After this information came to light, the Saudi Grains Organization (SAGO), represented by the National Program for Reducing Food Loss and Waste, started an awareness campaign to educate the community about food diversification. The campaign promoted reasonable practices of food consumption as well as solutions to help reduce food waste.