As previously covered on this blog, Brazilian federal police raided several meat producers earlier this year for allegedly doling out bribes to inspectors to certify meat that was either rotten or tainted with Salmonella.  Following the bribery scandal, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) instituted 100% point-of-entry re-inspection of all Brazilian meat products imported into the United States and – since then – has refused entry to approximately 1.9 million pounds of Brazilian beef products due to public health concerns, sanitary conditions and animal health issues.

Yesterday, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the suspension of all imports of fresh beef from Brazil because of recurring concerns about the safety of the products intended for the American market.  According to a statement from USDA, the suspension of shipments will remain in place until the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture takes corrective action which the USDA finds satisfactory.  On the heels of a number of other global buyers of Brazilian beef – including China, Egypt and Chile – having recently curtailed imports, the U.S. ban announced yesterday could come as a blow to Brazil – one of the world’s top exporters of beef and poultry.