Brazil suspends meat exports to China after detecting 'mad cow' case

“Exports to China will be temporarily suspended from this Thursday (23)”, following the official health protocol, the ministry said in a statement.

The authorities assured, however, that “meat for consumption in the market is not affected by the confirmation” of the case.

“All measures are being taken immediately”, as the investigation progresses, said minister Carlos Fávaro, quoted in the note.

“The matter is being handled with complete transparency to guarantee Brazilian and global consumers the recognized quality of our meat,” he added.

Brazil is the largest exporter of beef globally, especially to China.

In 2022, exports to the Chinese market represented more than half of sales, both in cash and volume, according to the Brazilian Association of Refrigerators (Abrafrigo), based on official data.

Mapa pointed out that “the dialogue with the authorities is being intensified to demonstrate all the information and the prompt reestablishment of the Brazilian meat trade”.

Technically called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), the case of “mad cow” was detected in a nine-year-old male, in the municipality of Marabá, according to the government note.

The Agricultural Defense Agency of the State of Pará (Adepará) reported that the “symptoms indicate that it is an atypical form of the disease, which appears spontaneously in nature, causing no risk of spread to livestock and humans”.

The samples taken from the animal – which was slaughtered and incinerated – were sent to the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO) reference laboratory, located in Alberta, Canada, to confirm whether it really was an atypical case.

(With AFP)

Read also

Pedophiles are abusing children in the metaverse, says British NGO

The British NGO for the protection of children and adolescents from abuse, NSPCC, published this Wednesday (22) data showing that pedophiles are exploiting virtual reality environments to abuse children. This is the first dedicated research on the topic in the country.

Why are mountainous regions most affected by landslides after rain?

Mountainous regions are most affected by landslides after rain due to their steep and rugged topography. The soil in these areas tends to be unstable, and rain can saturate the soil, increasing the risk of landslides. Additionally, many mountainous areas have been deforested to make way for agriculture or urbanization, which can further weaken the soil and increase the likelihood of landslides.