No salmonella in exported poultry, Brazil tells EU

The Brazilian government informed the European Union Food Security and Health Service that neither of the two types of salmonella that can affect public health—typhimurium and enteritidis—was found in poultry. The report, drafted by Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, was sent Friday (Jul 3) in response to irregularities detected by European experts that came to Brazil on a mission early in May. They stressed that Brazilian meatpacking plants should tighten up control and step up their inspection teams.

According to the Brazilian government, the report mentions the measures taken and the stricter sanitary inspections adopted to keep salmonella out of the chicken exported to the EU. To meet this goal, the ministry will hire 300 veterinarians in 60 days to work along with the federal agricultural inspectors at the meatpacking plants.

The Ministry of Agriculture also announced that the country is to conduct veterinary missions to a number of European countries—including the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Germany, and the Czech Republic—later this year. The Brazilian government considers the European community a priority. In 2016 alone, countries from the European bloc bought $1.8 billion in Brazilian meat. Up to May this year, imports totaled $648 million.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira