The WTO announced that Brazil updated WTO members on the measures it has taken to ensure the safety of its meat and meat products at a meeting of the WTO’s Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on 22 and 23 March. The WTO said:
Since the start of its investigation into irregularities in meat inspections, several measures have been taken to “ensure the safety and quality of the products”, the Brazilian delegation said. At the same time, the alleged misconduct only applied to a fraction of Brazil’s “solid and trustworthy” sanitary controls on animal products, the delegation told WTO members. It further reassured its trading partners that “the Brazilian regulatory system is among the most frequently and strictly audited and monitored worldwide”.
According to Brazil, the Federal Police launched an investigation on 17 March 2017 into irregular practices involving certification of meat and meat products in 21 meat processing facilities that handle beef, poultry and pork products. These initial findings were taken very seriously by the authorities, and facts were being thoroughly checked and investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture. President Michel Temer had convened a meeting over the weekend of 18-19 March 2017 to assess the safety of domestic and international consumers with regard to the quality of meat produced in the country.
Brazil urged members to take into account this information and not to resort to measures which would run counter to WTO disciplines.
