“I am today calling on the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, to call an emergency meeting of EU Ministers to implement an immediate ban on beef and other food products from Brazil, following shocking revelations at the weekend about the alleged behaviour of Brazilian beef and food exporters,” Roscommon-Galway Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice said this morning.

“On Saturday, it was reported that Brazil had been selling rotten beef and poultry products internationally for years. The vast majority of those exports go to the EU. This situation is so serious that three meat processing plants have been closed and another 21 are under investigation and 30 Government officials have been suspended so far.

Allegations

“It is alleged that acid and other carcinogenic products were mixed with beef to alter products and that potatoes, water and cardboard were mixed with poultry products.

“These are absolutely shocking allegations and I am calling on Minister Creed to call an immediate Council of Ministers meeting, with a view to banning all food imports from Brazil into the EU until this situation is properly investigated and regularised.” he said.

“The EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan also has a role here. As an Irish person he should know and realise just how serious this situation is and I am also calling on him to step to the mark on this very serious matter.

Irish farmers are subject to so many strict EU regulations and constantly produce the highest standard of beef, poultry and other food products; yet [producers] in Brazil and other countries seem to be able to do as they please.

“Our Government and the EU must act immediately on this issue. I will be putting pressure on Minister Creed, the Government, Fianna Fail and all other political parties to address this as a matter of the most extreme urgency,” he concluded.