Sixty countries, including the US, Canada and some EU nations, are at risk from imported meat from the companies at the centre of a Brazilian meat scandal.
12 countries which did not even import meat from the affected companies imposed bans on meat from Brazil.
In March, an investigation uncovered tainted meat, bribery and other malpractice in the multi-billion dollar meat industry. Some of the biggest meat export companies in the world were accused of various unhygienic practices, including use of illegal acid and carcinogenic chemicals to treat products.
Brazilian police are investigating 21 beef, pork, and chicken processing plants out of thousands. The investigation has resulted in numerous arrests, the suspension of meat inspectors and plant closures and prompted trade restrictions around the world.
Some countries, including China, imposed total bans on Brazilian meat imports. Many more, including the EU, imposed partial bans on meat imports from the affected companies.
Brazilian customs shows that these companies shipped over $152.6 million worth of meat in 2016 to Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China alone, and smaller amounts to countries such as the USA, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Singapore.
The overall annual value of these companies’ meat exports in 2016 was just under $250m.