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St. Kitts-Nevis on Friday  a list of countries across the region and internationally to impose a temporary ban on the importation of certain meats and meat products from Brazil.

 

 The St.Kitts-Nevis National Agriculture, Health & Food Safety Advisory Committee, which is comprised of the the Ministry of Health , Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Consumer Affairs ,  Bureau of Standards and the Customs & Excise Department have recommended a Temporary BAN on the importation of ALL Animal products from Brazil.

In a release issued late Friday afternoon the National Advisory Committee stated that an urgent meeting of the body had been convened and a concensus was arrived at and two specific recommendations made.

The Two recommendations as it relates to the importation of meat products into the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis are:

(1) To impose a temporary ban on the importation of all animal and animal products from Brazil as we have lost confidence in that country’s certification process for the export of meat.

(2) To remove/withdraw from the shelves all corned beef imported from and originating in Brazil, for detention until we have received more information on the specific batch numbers and companies that are implicated in the packaging of rotten beef in that country.

 

The Notice concluded by stating that the recommendations were precautionary measures to protect the general population from potentially tainted products.

The ban comes as authorities in South America’s largest nation, suspended 33 government officials amid allegations that some of the country’s biggest meat processors have been selling rotten beef and poultry for years, the BBC reported.

 

Three meat processing plants have also been closed and another 21 are under scrutiny, the report said.

 

Jamaica was among the first Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries to place a temporary ban on the importation of corn beef or meat products from Brazil.

 

St.Vincent made the announcement on Tuesday and has since been followed by Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the Bahamas.

 

Other CARICOM nations are likely to follow.

 

China has suspended meat imports from Brazil over its rotten meat scandal while the European Union has called for a partial ban, Al Jazeera has reported.