China says concerns about quality of Brazil's meat led to import halt
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Chinese concerns about the quality of Brazilian meat led to the recent decision to temporarily halt imports from the country, China's Commerce Ministry said Thursday.
"As the largest importer of meat from Brazil, China expresses concerns about the quality of Brazilian meat," Commerce Ministry spokesman Sun Jiwen told the press.
"Chinese authorities have taken temporary measures in a timely manner," he said.
Ships carrying meat from Brazil are stranded outside Chinese ports, and Chinese supermarkets have started pulling Brazilian red meat and poultry from their shelves, according to reports.
Brazilian authorities announced last week they were investigating evidence that government officials had been taking bribes to allow for the sale of spoiled meat.
Twenty-one meat processing plants were being investigated, and 30 officials had been suspended, the Brazilian government announced.
Brazil is the world's largest exporter of beef and chicken. The European Union, South Korea and Chile have also suspended meat imports from the country. (dpa)
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