Brazil inspection mission timetable set

Less than one week after talks with USDA officials, Brazil says an inspection mission timetable that could open the door to a resumption of shipments of Brazilian beef to U.S. markets has been established. Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply says a USDA audit of the inspection system of its “agricultural establishments” will take place between June 10 and June 28, according to a statement on its official website. The announcement followed the release of a joint statement outlining efforts to build a future partnership that could reduce trade barriers on meat products. Concerns about the safety of Brazilian beef prompted USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to suspend all imports of fresh Brazilian beef in June 2017 in the wake of public health concerns, sanitary conditions and animal health issues, USDA announced at the time. USDA at the time noted that the rejection rate of 11 percent for Brazilian beef was substantially higher than the 1 percent rejection rate for fresh beef arriving from the rest of the world. The upcoming USDA inspections are intended to verify that Brazilian meat products and the plants where they are processed meet USDA sanitary requirements, Brazilian officials announced. A report of the findings are expected to be released on an unspecified date, the announcement added.