MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil and China drafting a protocol for chicken slaughterhouses to avoid Covid-19

The protocol rules which are also to be applied in other countries target “zero risk”. However there are some differences on the definition of “zero risk”

Following China's claims to have found traces of the new coronavirus in chicken wings from Brazil, the two countries are in negotiations to establish a protocol to prevent contamination of Covid-19 in slaughterhouses that export to the Asian largest economy.

This followed an incident in June when a new outbreak of the virus appeared in Beijing, resulting in the suspension of imports from six Brazilian plants, and a seventh unit was also banned by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture.

The protocol rules which are also to be applied in other countries target “zero risk”. However there are some differences on the definition of “zero risk” between the Brazilian ministry of agriculture and Chinese sanitary officials.

Among China´s requirements are the establishment of a rule where exporters will ‘self-suspend’ if problems involving Covid-19 arise at slaughterhouses, which Brasilia considers as a legally complex rule to empower. Beijing wants to know precisely what protocol Brazil will follow in the event of contamination by a slaughterhouse worker, the measures it will take to prevent infections, etc.

According to some sources, if the two countries do not reach an agreement, there is a risk that the Asian economy will suspend certain imports from Brazil.

As a result of China’s claims that it found traces of the new coronavirus in Brazilian chicken shipments, on Friday, August 14, the Philippines imposed a temporary ban on chicken imports from Brazil.

“With recent reports from China and in compliance with the country’s Food Security Act to regulate food business operators and protect Filipino consumers, a temporary ban has been imposed on chicken imports,” said the Department of Agriculture in a statement in Manila.

The agency did not say how long the ban would apply. Brazil is the world´s largest chicken exporter and accounts for about 20% of the Philippines’ chicken imports.