While
USDA officials are still mulling over the possibility of lifting the ban on
Brazilian beef imports, one U.S. beef industry group has questioned the safety
of Brazilian meat imports and is now putting pressure on USDA to keep the
restriction into place.
Because
of concerns related to food safety, the United States Cattlemen's Association
(USCA), which represents cow-calf producers, backgrounders and feedlot
operators, has vowed to oppose reopening of trade with Brazil and is now urging
USDA to keep the restriction on Brazilian beef.
In a
Jan. 18 letter addressed to Carmen Rottenberg, the acting deputy under
secretary for food safety at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS),
the group urged Rottenberg to keep the ban in place and asked USDA to provide
it with information on a host of food safety practices related to meat imports
coming from Brazil.