Brazilian President to reassure the world following meat scandal

Michel Temer, the Brazilian President, aims to reassure foreign trade partners that despite an ongoing corruption scandal scouring the nation, its meat industry will not be affected. 

Meeting several ambassadors from around the world, the President remained visibly confident in the quality of the meat industry in South America’s largest economy.

Brazil exports the worlds largest amount of red meat.

“The Brazilian government reiterates its confidence in the quality of a national product that has won over consumers and obtained the approval of the most rigorous markets,” Mr Temer announced. 

On Friday, Brazilian federal police entered meat-producing plants and arrested more than 30 employees on grounds of participating in illegal practices. 

Insultingly, the government suspended more than 30 senior civil servants who are being investigated for corruption.

Three meat-packing plants have been closed and another 21 are being investigated.

Mr Temer then clarified that the plants under scrutiny represented a tiny proportion of Brazil’s meat industry.

“Only 21 units out of 4,837 in Brazil subject to government inspection are facing allegations of irregularities. And only six of them have exported in the past 60 days,” said Mr Temer.