The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) issued a decision to temporarily halt the imports Thursday, asking the Department of Animal Health to closely supervise the imports from Brazil before Thursday and notify if products from those factories are found. The department was also requested to send an official notice of the decision to Brazil’s authorised agencies. It will also be responsible for verifying whether Brazil can ensure the hygiene of the products and then report to the MARD. Vietnam has imported about 3,000 tonnes of meat and meat products from Brazil since the beginning of 2017, which is relatively small compared to nearly six million tonnes of meat that the South American country ships abroad every year.
Before entering Vietnam, all meat from Brazil is kept at ports and tested. Only qualified meat is allowed for sale in the country, the Department of Animal Health said Wednesday.
Regarding the Brazilian meat already imported into Vietnam, some big supermarkets like Big C and Saigon Co.op said they do not sell beef and chicken products hailing from Brazil.