The Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) has been monitoring the issue relating to the sale of unwholesome meat and meat products originating from Brazil.
Several Member States have already instituted measures to restrict the importation of some or all meat products from Brazil. It is noted that China, the European Union, and Chile have also instituted restrictive measures.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has redoubled its food inspection efforts on beef products from Brazil although none of the slaughtering or processing facilities implicated in the Brazilian scandal shipped meat products to the U.S. The Department said it is still conducting “additional pathogen testing” of all shipments of raw beef and ready-to-eat products from Brazil.
CAHFSA is endeavoring to obtain more information as it relates to the specific plants and products involved and will disseminate same as soon as possible.
We are kindly requesting Member States that are conducting tests of the various products, to share the results with the other Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs)/Member States who may not be in a position to complete the testing protocols. This is in an effort to assist in the decision-making process regarding the continuance of the measures that would have been taken.
We would also like to advise that Members of the Community to take the necessary measures to protect the well-being of their population, until necessary determinations have been made that the products are safe for consumption. This may entail a comprehensive review of the operations/production systems in Brazil in general and the specific companies in particular. Thus, the requirement of a Regional Risk Analysis.
(Statement from the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency – CAHFSA)
