EU beefs up checks on Brazilian meat imports

THE EU will soon send auditors to ensure reinforced checks are being carried out on Brazilian beef entering the bloc, following the rotten-meat scandal in the country.

Brazilian police discovered corrupt practices at 21 meat processors earlier this month that enabled unsafe produce to pass health-and-safety checks.

None of the establishments is currently exporting meat to the EU.

After a meeting with Brazilian agriculture minister Blairo Maggi last week, EU health chief Vytenis Andriukaitis (pictured) said he would “reassess measures as things evolve”.

“The EU and Brazil are strong partners,” Mr Andriukaitis said after the meeting.

“I want to see the minister’s commitment to demonstrate that we can have full trust in their official controls — in their independent official controls,” he added. “This would send a message to Brazilian partners that the Brazilian system is able to deliver trust, reliabil- ity and predictability. The suspicion of corruption is unacceptable.”

EU farm attachés agreed last week to carry out physical checks on all consignments presented for import to the EU and to carry out microbiological checks in a fifth of cases.

“The safety of food products is crucial to maintain the credibility of our control systems and the consumers’ confidence in the food chain,” Mr Andriukaitis said.

“This crisis emphasises consumers’ right to know more details about the origin of food,” said Finnish agriculture minister Kimmo Tiilikainen ahead of a briefing by Mr Andriukaitis on his meetings with the Brazilian side.

MEPs in the European Parliament’s agriculture committee are demanding answers from the Commission on how the scandal will affect ongoing trade talks with the Mercosur group of South American countries, including Brazil.

The Irish Farmers’ Association said the Brazilian scandal is a major lesson for the EU.

“It is clear from the weak-flesh scandal that the production systems in Brazil fail to meet EU standards and as a result, meat imports from Brazil should not be accepted into the EU,” said IFA livestock leader Angus Woods.