The President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Michel Temer, has convened a ministerial meeting this weekend as concerns grow over the safety of meat imported from that country.
“I have convened a ministerial meeting over the weekend, in order to assess the safety of national and international consumers with regard to the quality of the meat produced in our country,” a statement from the Brazilian Embassy in Roseau sent to Dominica News Online and quoting the President, reads.
This after Dominica and other countries placed a ban on the importation of corned beef products from Brazil based on safety and quality issues.
Reports indicate that authorities in Brazil said that several major Brazilian meat processors have been allegedly “selling rotten beef and poultry.” Reports also allege that companies have paid hefty bribes to auditors in exchange for fraudulent sanitary licenses.
The statement said the Government of Brazil has sped up the audit process of 21 establishments cited by a Federal Police investigation.
“The Government has decided to speed up the audit process in the 21 establishments cited in the Federal Police investigation. Three of these establishments have already been suspended and all 21 will be placed under special inspection regime conducted by a specific task force of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA),” the statement noted. “The facts are that among 11,000 employees, only 33 are being investigated. Out of 4,837 establishments subject to federal inspection, only 21 are allegedly involved in irregularities. The objective of the investigation is not the agriculture and livestock defense system in place, whose rigor is widely recognized, but a few conduct deviations.”
The statement said that “Foreign embassies were assured that all exporting plants remain open to inspections by importing countries and to the monitoring of activities under the national control system, one of the most respected in the world.”
“MAPA will fully cooperate with the current investigations in order to determine eventual misconduct within the agriculture and livestock defense system,” the statement continued. “The Federal Government manifests its confidence in the quality of the national product, which has been approved by consumers in highly demanding markets around the world in terms of inspection and defense systems. MAPA has a strict inspection service for products of animal origin. The high standard of excellence opened the doors of Brazilian meat to over 150 countries, with permanent auditing, monitoring and risk assessment. In addition to the national controls, products are also subject to local inspection on reaching their destinations.”
It went on to say that in “2016 alone, 853,000 items of products of animal origin from Brazil were sent to foreign markets and only 184 were considered, by importers, out of compliance, often because of non-sanitary issues, such as labelling and completion of certificates”.
Another one is sausage. Consider, what is the meat mixture made up of?
No bragging but the electric mincer I have can make sausage with real beef, chicken and turkey. Have not yet tried it but I will sometime.
I got a recipe for sausage from a George Forman Sandwich Grill which I bought a few years ago. When I can make the time I will try it. Homemade is better. You can season your recipes to your liking.
There are more such recipes on those websites. Everything we want to know is on the Internet. Simply Google it!
I just thought of it. You probably could make your own corned beef. If it is processed meat I would not make/use it.
One of the regional importers of corn beef is hopping mad over the many dollars in profit he stands to loose, because of what he terms, the government’s premature action in banning the import of corn beef ,before conclusive test results are provided.
Perhaps he should consider converting his container loads of corn beef into pet food, for, from here on in, the purchase of corn beef, by what ever brand name, will disappear on the majority of people’s shopping lists.
The harm has been done. Since this news is out, who in Dominica would want to purchase corned beef again? I would not!
Dominicans should thank God they are aware of it.
Another incident of closing the door in this case , after the cows are out [pardon the pun]. don’t blame Skerro , this time he acted swiftly cus he love his corn beef Johnny cakes [bakes] in the morning before he listen to Matt in the morning [LOL].