The European Union has recently made a unanimous decision to ban chicken imports from 20 BRF S.A. plants in Brazil for alleged deficiencies in the country’s control system.  BRF S.A. is a poultry and meat processor and has been caught up in the investigation by Brazil’s Federal Police into bribery of meat inspectors and other government officials.

Brazil is the world’s second-largest poultry producer and its Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi promises to take the European Union to the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body over the ban.   Minister Maggi said the EU is lying when the organization says its ban on Brazilian poultry is based on health or sanitation issues.

BRF S.A. is one of the largest food companies in the world with over 30 brands, among the Sadia, Perdigao, Qualy, Paty, Danica, and Cocatti.  About 7.3 percent of the chicken consumed in the EU countries originates in Brazil. Brazil accounted for about 30 to 35 percent of the poultry recently imported by the European Union.