IFA demands immediate ban on Brazilian meat imports
Meat processors forced to close three plants in ‘rotten meat’ scandal
IFA president Joe Healy has called for an “immediate ban” on Brazilian meat imports into the EU following shocking allegations that leading meat processors have been approving rotten beef for export for years.
Authorities in Brazil have suspended 33 government officials and closed three meat plants amid the scandal. A further 21 meat plans are also being investigated.
Mr Healy said the failure of Brazil to meet EU standards and controls “raises very serious concerns” around meat imports.
The IFA has written to the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, demanding European standards for all European imports and to impose a ban where this is not met.
“The latest reports indicate that basic requirements around traceability and food safety are still not being met in Brazil.
“Brazil fails to meet EU standards and controls on tagging, tractability, food safety and animal health controls and environmental standards,” said Mr Healy, highlighting ongoing EU-Mercosur trade talks and Brexit.
“No credible or proper control system can effectively operate on the basis of no traceability, tagging, registration and national data base,” he said.
The ICMSA and the ICSA have also called for an immediate ban on poor-quality beef and poultry imports from the South American country.
ICMSA president John Comer said the “shocking revelations” shed light on a “systemic problem”.
“What’s even more alarming is the extent and nature of the frauds in terms of the health risks we might be contemplating here. These are the most serious kind and must be treated as an absolute priority.
“There’s no point in operating our own certified farmto-fork safety policy if we have even a remote possibility of this kind of stuff coming in from Brazil.
“The response has to be immediate and it has to mean a complete cessation on meat imports from Brazil,” he said.
ICSA president Patrick Kent stressed that the EU has been warned “time and time again” about the risks of South American beef imports.
“It is outrageous that the EU keeps giving a second chance to Brazil, even when Food and Veterinary Office reports have continuously shown major deficiencies in Brazilian beef practices.
“Irish farmers are made to jump through hoops and are highly regulated, and the least we can expect is that their efforts are not sabotaged by cheap, sub-standard imports. Quality beef production costs money,” he said.