Brazilian investigators say health inspectors were bribed to overlook expired meats and chemicals.
Countries including Japan and Canada have also banned imports from Brazil after inspectors there were accused of taking bribes to allow sales of tainted food.
(Reuters)
China urged Brazil to hand out harsh punishments to those involved in a tainted meat scandal on Thursday, and offered no time frame for lifting a ban on imports from the South American country.
In its first official comment, China’s Commerce Ministry confirmed it had suspended all shipments from Brazil, the world’s top beef exporter, and said it was extremely concerned with quality issues in the country’s meat industry.
« China has promptly adopted temporary measures and suspended Brazilian meat imports, » spokesman Sun Jiwen told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing.
BRAZIL REASSURES FOREIGN COUNTRIES AFTER MEAT SCANDAL
Some of China’s largest food suppliers have pulled Brazilian beef and poultry from their shelves, while countries including Japan and Canada have also banned imports from Brazil after inspectors there were accused of taking bribes to allow sales of tainted food.
