The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

BRAZILIAN officials in The Bahamas yesterday urged caution as international concern mounts over the quality of meat imports from that country and sought to downplay fears that prompted several bans.

In a press statement, The Embassy of Brazil in The Bahamas on Thursday noted that federal authorities in Brazil have unveiled an investigation of the country’s agriculture ministry which uncovered poor practices at 21 of Brazil’s nearly 5,000 meat-producing plants.

According to a Reuters report earlier this week, Brazilian authorities accused inspectors there of taking bribes to allow sales of rotten and salmonella-tainted meats.

Meanwhile, the embassy maintained that over the last 60 days, records show that only one shipment from these now sanctioned facilities headed to the Bahamas.

The embassy remarked that the investigations further uncovered that some 99.8 per cent of registered companies and 99.7 per cent of inspectors are not involved in the allegations under investigation.

The embassy said that its government is now auditing establishments mentioned in the federal police investigation, noting that three plants have already had their operations suspended and all 21 have been placed under special inspection regime conducted by a specific task force of Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA).

Thursday’s statement read: “On Friday, March 17, the Brazilian Federal Police unveiled an investigation on irregular practices involving certification of meat and meat products by staff members of the Ministry of Agriculture in 21 meat processing facilities that handle beef, poultry and pork products.”

It continued: “These initial findings have been taken very seriously by the authorities, and facts are being thoroughly checked and investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture. The police operation itself is proof of the transparency and credibility of the existing controls. The investigation was intimated and entirely carried out by Brazilian authorities. President Michel Temer himself convened a meeting over the weekend of March 18-19 to assess the safety of domestic and international consumers with regard to the quality of the meat produced in the country.

“There are presently 21 companies under investigation by the Brazilian Federal Police and only six have exported products within the last 60 days and only one of these exports were made to The Bahamas.

“Brazilian sanitary controls are solid and trustworthy. The Ministry of Agriculture is widely recognised for its rigorous and robust inspection serif of products of animal origin, thus guaranteeing food safety and quality.”

The Brazilian Embassy added that its country ranks among the biggest animal protein exporters in the world, and the standards of excellence of its products rate among the best of the world.

Moreover, the embassy said high quality Brazilian meat and meat products are exported to more than 150 countries.

“For this reason, the Brazilian regulatory system is among the most frequently and strictly audited and monitored worldwide,” the embassy claimed. “It meets the requirements of several high demanding markets and includes additional periodic inspections, monitoring and internal and external auditing based on risk assessments.

“Brazil has 4,837 establishments which produce meat products. Of these establishments, which are subject to federal inspection, only 21 (0.2 per cent of the total) are alleged to have been involved in irregularities, and of the over 11,000 employees in the agricultural inspection system, only 33 (0.3 per cent) are being investigated by the Federal Police for possible irregularities.

“That means that 99.8 per cent of registered companies and 99.7 per cent of inspectors are not involved in the allegations under investigation.”

The embassy concluded its statement by stating that all of its country’s exporting plants remain open to inspection visits by importing countries who wish to visit to clear up any doubts which they may have.

The embassy added that Brazil is the most interested party in resolving and clarifying these issues, and in having the current unilateral ban lifted.

On Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Alfred Gray said his ministry had issued an immediate import ban on Brazilian meat products.

The Bahamas is following precedents set by the European Union, China and Jamaica, the latter of which also banned Brazilian meat imports Tuesday.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources is expected to monitor the issue over the next 60 days, and if satisfied, will move to resume imports from Brazil.

However, for that clearance, the ministry is requiring that products are harvested and processed at an approved government abattoir and processing facility in Brazil, and obtain a sanitary certificate.

The ministry said that all batch containers will be inspected at a “port of entry” upon arrival to the Bahamas, and an import permit obtained from the necessary government agencies.

A registry of all importers of beef and beef products from Brazil also will be compiled.