Brazil Suspends Beef Shipments to China After Discovering BSE Case

Brazil has suspended shipments of beef to China after discovering a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in its Mato Grosso state, according to a June 4 press release from the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture. The agency suspended the issuance of sanitary certificates for shipments to China on June 4, effective for all shipments on or after May 31, the release said. The International Organization for Animal Health has already completed its evaluation of the case and found no risk of the spread of BSE, so exports of beef may continue to be shipped normally to other countries, the release said. The OIE declined to change Brazil’s disease risk status, which remains “insignificant,” the Agriculture Ministry said in another update.