G/SPS/GEN/1545  
 
22 March 2017  
(17-1582) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
ANIMAL PRODUCTS – RECENT MEASURES IMPL EMENTED  
COMMUNICATION FROM BRAZIL  
The following communication, dated 22 March 2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of  Brazil . 
 
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1.  On Friday, 17 March  2017 the Brazilian Federal Poli ce unveiled an investigation on irregular 
practices involving certification of meat and meat products by staff members of the Ministry of 
Agriculture in 21 meat processing facilities that handle beef, poultry and pork products.  
2.  These initial findings have been taken very seriously by the authorities, and facts are being 
thoroughly checked and investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture. The police operation itself is 
proof of the transparency and credibility of the existing controls. The investigation was i nitiated 
and entirely carried out by Brazilian authorities. President Michel Temer himself convened a 
meeting over the weekend of 18 -19 March  2017 to assess the safety of domestic and international 
consumers with regard to the quality of the meat produced in the country.  
3.  Brazilian sanitary controls are solid and trustworthy. The Ministry of Agriculture is widely 
recognized for its rigorous and robust inspection service of products of animal origin, thus 
guaranteeing food safety and quality.  
4.  Brazil ranks amo ng the biggest animal protein exporters in the world, and the standards of 
excellence of our products rate among the best of the world. High quality Brazilian meat and meat 
products are exported to more than 150 countries. For this reason, the Brazilian re gulatory system 
is among the most frequently and strictly audited and monitored worldwide. It meets the 
requirements of several highly demanding markets and includes additional periodic inspections, 
monitoring and internal and external auditing based on ri sk assessment.  
5.  Some of the main program mes for controlling food quality and safety are well known to our 
importers: the National Plan for the Control of Residues and Contaminants (PNCRC), the 
Conformity Assessment Program for Animal Products (PAC -POA) and the Pathogens Reduction 
Program (PRP).  
6.  Since the unveiling of the investigations, several measures have been taken. The main concern 
and commitment is to ensure the safety and quality of the products. At the same time, although 
the allegations of misconduc t by auditors are serious, they have to be put in perspective:  
 Of MAPA's 11,000 workforce, 2,300 are auditors working on animal products sanitary 
inspection – but only 33 individuals are being investigated for improper conduct; all these 
public servants ha ve been suspended pending the conclusion of ongoing administrative 
proceedings, in addition to the a lready launched criminal probe;  
 Of the 4,837 animal product processing units subject to federal sanitary inspections, only 
21 are allegedly involved in irre gularities. Three of those have had their operations halted 
and all the 21 are being re -audited by headquarters officials as we speak, to verify any 
material evidence of nonconformities in the products. Moreover, the export authorizations 
to all these 21 u nits have been preventively suspended.  G/SPS/GEN/1545  
 
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   In 2016 alone, 853,000 shipments of products of animal origi n from Brazil were exported. 
Of those, only 184 shipments were considered non -compliant by the importing authorities 
- often because of non -sanitary requirem ents, such as la belling or incomplete paperwork;  
 Finally, the investigations are not aimed at the agriculture and livestock inspection systems 
in place, whose rigor is widely recognized, but rather at a few instances of individual 
misconduct.  
7.  Brazil reaffi rms the adequate maintenance of the official sanitary program mes and specific 
controls on products of animal origin domestically produced. The Ministry of Agriculture 
surveillance protocols and procedures are efficient and result in high -quality and safe f ood for 
consumption. We reiterate our commitment to continuously improve the guarantees of our 
sanitary control systems.  
8.  All relevant Brazilian governmental agencies are working together to clarify the matters under 
investigation and address any concerns t hat may be raised by our trading partners. 
Brazilian  authorities have been in contact with authorities from importing markets since the 
unveiling of the investigation. It goes without saying that the Brazilian Mission in Geneva is 
available to take any que ries or demands that may be presented to us in this regard.  
9.  Brazil hopes that Members take into account all the information that has been shared with 
partners and with this Committee, which will be updated as necessary. In this spirit of 
transparency and c ooperation, we expect that Members do not resort to measures which would 
constitute arbitrary restrictions on international trade or run cou nter the disciplines of the 
SPS Agreement and other WTO rules.  
 
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