China alleges it found coronavirus in chicken imported from Brazil

The government of the Chinese city of Shenzhen, in the south of the country, reported on August 12 that a sample of frozen chicken wings imported from Aurora Alimentos, located in Santa Catarina, tested positive for the coronavirus.  Local disease control centers tested a surface sample taken from chicken wings as part of routine analyzes of imported meat and seafood since June when a new outbreak in Beijing was associated with a wholesale food market in the city of Xinfadi.

Shenzhen health officials said they screened and tested everyone who may have come into contact with potentially contaminated food and that all results were negative.  “It can be difficult to say at what stage the frozen chicken was infected,” said a representative of a Brazilian exporter in China.  In addition to tests on meat and seafood containers arriving at major ports in recent months, China has suspended some meat imports from a variety of sources, including Brazil, since mid-June.

On the subject, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply – MAPA, issued a statement in which it informs that shortly after news published in the Chinese press, MAPA consulted the General Administration of Customs of China – GACC seeking official information to clarify the circumstances of the alleged contamination.  According to the note, to date, MAPA has not been officially notified by the Chinese authorities of the occurrence.

“MAPA emphasizes that, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no scientific evidence of transmission of the COVID-19 virus from food or frozen food packaging. MAPA reiterates the safety of products produced in establishments under SIF, since they obey strict protocols to guarantee public health ”, says the note.  The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) stated in a note that “it is not yet clear when the packaging was contaminated, and whether it occurred during the export transportation process”.

The following graph shows Brazil´s ​​chicken export volumes:

Brazilian chicken exports (HS 0207) to China & Rest of the world | Jan 2017 to Jun 2020 | TEU

Sharing is caring!