The United States Department of Agriculture has announced the suspension of imports of fresh beef from Brazil.
The new policy is a result of higher rejection rates of fresh beef from Brazil compared to other countries. Since March, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has inspected 100 percent of shipments from Brazil. In that time, FSIS has refused entry to 11 percent of fresh Brazilian beef products; the rate for shipments from other countries is 1 percent. The reasons for the rejections have included public health concerns, sanitary conditions, and animal health issues.