In the wake of a scandal over tainted meat in Brazil, the Government Analyst-Food and Drug (GA-FDD) will be conducting close checks on containers presently at city wharves for any tainted brands.
In a statement today, Director of the GA-FDD, Marlan Cole said that the Department is in receipt of official communication from Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture via the Office of the Guyana mission to Brazil on the circumstances surrounding “Operation Spoilt Meat”, where Inspectors were accused of taking bribes to certify and facilitate export documentation for spoilt meat.
Cole said that the information received confirmed that the adverse findings of the Federal Police operation is restricted to two major Brazilian meat packers/producers: FBR SA with trademarks –brands- such as Friboi, Swift and Ceara and BRF SA, with trademarks -brands- such as, Sadia and Perdigao. Cole said that information received suggested that the spoilt meat was mainly used to process different types of sausages.
Cole said that the Department has initiated closer checks on several containers currently on the city’s wharfs with sausages to ensure the implicated brands were not imported here.
All Importers of sausages and other meat products from Brazil are being asked to take the necessary precautions by removing and/or recalling any of the affected brands from the market and to notify the Department of any shipment(s) that are destined to Guyana, the statement said. Port Health Officers are also asked to exercise greater caution with meat particularly sausages from Brazil.
Several Caribbean countries have placed bans on meat imports from Brazil.
