Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 June 2017
204. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of EU level developments regarding the banning of contaminated Brazilian meat products from the EU market. [26396/17]
View answerFollowing the announcement of the fraud involving MAPA inspection officials, on 20 March, Member States commenced an enhanced checking and sampling regime on imports of meat products from Brazil. This regime was harmonised by agreement between Member States and the Commission at the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) meeting on 6 April. Under the new regime 100% of consignments from Brazil receive a physical check, and 20% are sampled for salmonella and E. coli.
In addition to the supplementary checks being carried out within the Union, the Commission’s audit unit (DGSANTE F) has carried out an audit of beef processing plants, and slaughter facilities for poultry and horsemeat in the Brazilian states that were implicated in the Brazilian inquiry (Goiás, Paraná, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and São Paulo). This audit took place between 2 and 12 May.
The Commission stated on 15 May that further action was not excluded depending on the outcome of the audits.
Since the fraud came to light on 20 March Ireland has received 2 consignments from implicated establishments at Dublin Port – both were rejected.
