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 Following a two-year investigation of Brazil's meatpacking industry,
police have accused more than 100 people, mostly health inspectors,
of taking bribes for allowing the sale of rancid products,
falsifying export documents or failing to inspect meatpacking
plants.
"This measure was taken in the interest of citizens' and residents'
safety," a statement from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, carried
by Saudi Arabia's official news agency SPA late on Wednesday, said
of the halt to imports.
It listed the affected companies as JJZ Alimentos SA, Frango Dm
Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda, Seara Alimentos, a
subsidiary of JBS, the world's biggest meatpacking company, and BRF
SA, the world's biggest poultry exporter.
The companies have denied any wrongdoing and authorities have said
that no cases of death or illness have been linked to the tainted
meat investigation.
Brazilian beef exports to Saudi Arabia in the first 10 months of
2016 totaled almost 24,000 tonnes, according to a study by Meat and
Livestock Australia, a research service.
[to top of second column] |
(Reporting by Ali Abdelaty; Writing by Stephen Kalin; Editing by
David Goodman)
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