USDA to Audit Brazil’s Meat Inspections After 2017 Import Ban
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to audit Brazil’s beef and pork inspections.
USDA’s auditing, to take place on select dates throughout June 2019, will take an in-depth look at the inspection system of agricultural establishments at Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (Brazil's USDA equivalent).
"This is an important step so that we can re-export, in the near future, fresh meat to the U.S.," says Brazilian Minister Tereza Cristina.
The plans were set when U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visited Brazil last week.
By auditing Brazil’s meat inspection methods, USDA hopes to verify that Brazil’s products meet American sanitation requirements. Assuming Brazil’s meat inspections meet U.S. safety standards, the import of fresh Brazilian beef may resume soon after.
Two years ago, Perdue suspended all fresh beef imports from Brazil for “recurring concerns about safety of the products intended for the American market,”. At the time, USDA said that Brazil’s meat practices were worrisome in terms of public health, sanitary conditions, and animal health issues. Back then, USDA said that the U.S. ban on Brazilian meat would “remain in place until the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture takes “corrective action which the USDA finds satisfactory.”” It appears that this week’s announcement in a step in that direction.
After USDA’s auditing is complete, a report will be released although no publication date has been confirmed.
More on fresh beef from Brazil:
U.S. Has No Beef with Spoiled Brazilian Meat
U.S. Bans Brazilian Beef Over Safety Concerns
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