Brazilian meat exports collapse following inspection scandal
Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday 22 March 2017. South Africa partially suspends imports of Brazilian meat, the last country to do so following an inspection scandal. Brazilian investigators claim that health inspectors in the South American country have been corrupt to neglect the sale of obsolete meats and chemicals and other products have been added to the meat to improve its appearance and odor. (Photo AP / Eraldo Peres)
Brazil's meat exports collapsed this week, the agriculture minister said Wednesday, with several countries suspending imports from the South American country following a meat inspection scandal.
Brazil is fighting to contain the scandal in which investigators say that health inspectors have been corrupt to neglect obsolete meats and chemicals and that other products have been added to the meat to improve its appearance and smell . The government has tried very hard to minimize the extent of corruption, while criticizing the federal police for the way they have communicated about it.
The result was a leak of Brazilian exports.
On average, in Brazil, Brazil exported over $ 60 million worth of meat every day, Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said on Wednesday. This figure was $ 74,000 on Tuesday, a few days after the investigators revealed the probe.
Michael Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of the Gordon Group, a public relations and crisis firm.
"Even if it is a handful of bad actors, the issue is that these actors are all corrupting the whole culture of meat production in the country," he said. "That's why a systemic response is needed."
The government suspended exports of the 21 companies under investigation and noted that only a handful of 4,000 factories were involved.
South Africa was the last to join the growing list of countries that have partial or total bans on Brazilian meat. The other countries are the European Union, China, Japan and Mexico.
In a statement released Wednesday, its Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it would block the products of the companies involved in the probe. Port inspectors will also test each meat container in Brazil for pathogens such as Salmonella.
Exports of beef, pork and poultry represent 15 per cent of Brazil's total exports and a collapse of the sector would have serious consequences for the Brazilian economy, which is already a deep recession.
BBQs in Brazil are a weekly ritual. The Idec consumer lobby calls for a general reminder and more information on the meat that could be affected. So far, Brazil has not instituted a recall, but rather samples of products from the shelves and send them for testing.
Maggi assured the public that the meat is safe - but also said that there would be a reminder if problems were found during the test.
Shots between the federal police, which investigates corruption, and the government of President Michel Temer have not helped.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the federal police and the Ministry of Agriculture tried to smooth their differences and reassure the public and importers that the problem was smaller than it appeared.
The investigation revealed "facts that are directly related to errors in the professional conduct of officials and do not represent a general dysfunction of the Brazilian system of hygiene safety," the statement said.
Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday 22 March 2017. South Africa partially suspends imports of Brazilian meat, the last country to do so following an inspection scandal. Brazilian investigators claim that health inspectors in the South American country have been corrupt to neglect the sale of obsolete meats and chemicals and other products have been added to the meat to improve its appearance and odor. (Photo AP / Eraldo Peres)
Brazil's meat exports collapsed this week, the agriculture minister said Wednesday, with several countries suspending imports from the South American country following a meat inspection scandal.
Brazil is fighting to contain the scandal in which investigators say that health inspectors have been corrupt to neglect obsolete meats and chemicals and that other products have been added to the meat to improve its appearance and smell . The government has tried very hard to minimize the extent of corruption, while criticizing the federal police for the way they have communicated about it.
The result was a leak of Brazilian exports.
On average, in Brazil, Brazil exported over $ 60 million worth of meat every day, Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said on Wednesday. This figure was $ 74,000 on Tuesday, a few days after the investigators revealed the probe.
Michael Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of the Gordon Group, a public relations and crisis firm.
"Even if it is a handful of bad actors, the issue is that these actors are all corrupting the whole culture of meat production in the country," he said. "That's why a systemic response is needed."
The government suspended exports of the 21 companies under investigation and noted that only a handful of 4,000 factories were involved.
South Africa was the last to join the growing list of countries that have partial or total bans on Brazilian meat. The other countries are the European Union, China, Japan and Mexico.
In a statement released Wednesday, its Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it would block the products of the companies involved in the probe. Port inspectors will also test each meat container in Brazil for pathogens such as Salmonella.
Exports of beef, pork and poultry represent 15 per cent of Brazil's total exports and a collapse of the sector would have serious consequences for the Brazilian economy, which is already a deep recession.
BBQs in Brazil are a weekly ritual. The Idec consumer lobby calls for a general reminder and more information on the meat that could be affected. So far, Brazil has not instituted a recall, but rather samples of products from the shelves and send them for testing.
Maggi assured the public that the meat is safe - but also said that there would be a reminder if problems were found during the test.
Shots between the federal police, which investigates corruption, and the government of President Michel Temer have not helped.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the federal police and the Ministry of Agriculture tried to smooth their differences and reassure the public and importers that the problem was smaller than it appeared.
The investigation revealed "facts that are directly related to errors in the professional conduct of officials and do not represent a general dysfunction of the Brazilian system of hygiene safety," the statement said.
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