Source: Bob Moser, MEATINGPLACE, 11/25/11

U.S. food sanitation authorities were in the final stages of examining an application by Brazilian pork processors in Santa Catarina state this week for export approval to the United States, Meatingplace has confirmed.

Roughly one year ago, Brazilian producers were given the green light to sell pork to the U.S., but in practice nothing has been shipped since because Brazil's pork processors hadn't received proper approval.
Visiting this week with sanitation authorities in Washington, D.C., Pedro de Camargo Neto, president of Brazil's association for pork processors and exporters (Abipecs), was told the application reviews are near completion, Valor Economico newspaper first reported Tuesday.

He met with Ronald Jones, assistant administrator with U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The agricultural attache of Brazil's embassy in Washington, D.C., Horrys Friaça, reportedly attended as well.

The FSIS has two options, Camargo Neto told the newspaper. One is to recognize sanitary inspections already made by Brazilian agencies at the pork processing plants. The other is for FSIS to directly inspect slaughterhouses in Brazil.

This should be the final step in a process of approval for pork exports from Santa Catarina that has lasted nearly a decade with U.S. health agencies. In 2010, the USDA declared Santa Catarina free of foot-and-mouth disease, swine fever and other diseases.

U.S. officials told Camargo Neto that they didn't need any additional information or documentation to help them make a decision, Meatingplace has confirmed with Abipecs.

American pork producers are already very competitive, so Brazil doesn't expect to export significant volumes to the U.S. Abipecs estimated that Brazilian processors would initially export about US$25 million per year while exploring niche markets, like pork ribs. Within four years, that export value could reach US$100 million.

The green light on Brazilian pork from US health authorities could ease the way for Brazil to break down similar barriers in other markets, like Japan and South Korea.

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