Ban on Corned Beef Lifted

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda, has announced that the temporary ban on the import and sale of corned beef from Brazil has been lifted with immediate effect.

“That means that all imports en route, all stocks of corned beef that were quarantined, all stocks of corned beef in warehouses on the wharf, or elsewhere, destined for distribution across the country can now be released for distribution,” he said.

The Minister was speaking at a press conference at his Old Hope Road offices in St. Andrew, on April 4.

The ban and recall of Brazilian corned beef was imposed two weeks ago amid ongoing issues of contaminated meat affecting that country.

Almost 100 per cent of the corned beef supplied to Jamaica comes from the South American country.

Mr. Samuda indicated that the decision to lift the ban came as a result of local testing carried out by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) and the Veterinarian Services of the Ministry, which found the product to be uncontaminated or “within normal limits”.

Furthermore, teams from the Ministry, as well as the Health Ministry, which visited two plants in Brazil where most of the corned beef destined for Jamaica is manufactured, found that they were in compliance with the necessary standards.

The teams visited the country from March 29 to April 2.

“In specific terms, factory number 337 and 226 were found to be in compliance with the international and quality safety standards. All the phytosanitary and other measures required to ensure safety in the consumption of the product manufactured were within the required standards,” he said.

Mr. Samuda assured that the Ministry will continue to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, at least one local distributor of corned beef is expressing elation at the decision taken to lift the ban.

“It is good. We can now sell into the trade,” said General Manager of Industrial Sales Limited, Donna-Kaye Sharpe.

Industrial Sales Limited is a member of the Seprod Group of Companies and is responsible for distributing the Miracle brand of corned beef.

Article by: Chad Bryan
Photo from: www.jis.gov.jm