Brazilian beef is again stirring heat in the U.S. beef industry, after Brazil took over a month to report its latest case of mad cow disease.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association charges Brazil is not living up to U.S. or world animal health standards for reporting BSE cases in 24-hours.
NCBA government affairs director Kent Bacus says this latest Brazil mad cow case is of the less dangerous atypical variety, but still requires 24-hour reporting.
“This latest atypical BSE case took 35-days to report…it takes us, 24-hours. And Brazil has said, ‘well, we have to ship off some of these samples to other labs to be tested.’ Well, that may be true, but why does it take 35-days? We’ve been very consistent in our request with USDA to suspend their access until a thorough investigation and audit can be conducted.”
Bacus says Brazil took weeks and even close to two years in one instance, to report earlier BSE cases, when NCBA also sought suspensions.
Leading Bacus to conclude; “They don’t have a right to the U.S. market—it’s a privilege…and if you’re not going to provide an equivalent level of safety and health and be able to back that up through your reputation, then you don’t deserve to be here.”
Thailand, Iran, Jordan and Russia have temporarily suspended beef imports from Brazil, while Brazil under a trade deal, has suspended exports to China.
