Dubai: Rumours questioning the safety of Brazilian meat and poultry have gone viral across social media, prompting authorities to address the concerns of residents.
In a post on Dubai Municipality’s official Facebook page, authorities on Thursday confirmed that all meat and poultry imported from Brazil are safe.
“There were social media reports that all the meat and poultry products from Brazil were corrupt, and that six slaughterhouses were banned by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change. [The rumour also said that] the Saudi Food and Drug Authority has asked all consumers to quickly dispose of any meat products or chicken from Brazil,” said the municipality in a statement.
The rumours initially circulated on social media after the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment issued an alert on March 24, 2017, surrounding the safety of Brazilian food products.
In the statement, the ministry said that it took precautionary measures on imported food products from Brazil after Brazilian authorities suspended production at a number of Brazilian companies on grounds of unhealthy practices in their production processes.
Six companies export meat products from Brazil but, based on preliminary information, only one Brazilian facility exports such products to the UAE. “The ban on the six slaughterhouses does not stop the entry of all Brazilian meat and poultry,” said the municipality.
Dubai Municipality also stressed that all food products imported into the UAE are safe and conform to all health standards and Halal requirements applicable within the country.
