JBS has bought its way into being one of the biggest meat packers
in the United States and entered the Canadian market by buying XL Foods of
Alberta after it had to make the biggest beef recall in Canadian history
because of E. coli 0157:H7 food-poisoning bacteria.
The Brazilian federal government has temporarily closed
three meat processing plants and removed 33 public employees from their jobs on
Friday evening, after the federal police launched an investigation
Friday morning to dismantle a bribery scheme involving sanitary licenses
for adulterated products.
Brazil's president Michel Temer held a meeting with
diplomats from Brazil's meat importers Sunday to reassure them about the quality
of the country's products and sanitary procedures.
Brazilian processors JBS and BRF’s poultry plants are among
food companies being investigated.
“The (BRF) plant is capable of exporting to the most
demanding markets in the world, such as Canada, the European Union, Russia and
Japan,” the company said in a news release.
“This means that it follows the different standards
stipulated by these countries,” the company said.
The government decided to establish a special audit
procedure for 21 meat processing units cited in the investigation, according to
a written press statement sent out Sunday night.
