Authorities assessing whether Brazilian rotten meat reached Denmark

New international food scandal brewing involving chemically tampered-with meat

Stephen Gadd

In the wake of a food scandal in Brazil in which 33 government officials have so far been suspended, Denmark’s Veterinary and Food Administration has reported to TV2 News that they are investigating whether any of the contaminated meat has ended up here.

READ MORE: Dane accused of fraud in British horsemeat scandal

The authority has urged Danish wholesalers to check whether any of their meat could be dangerous to health.

The flesh is weak
The BBC reports that there have been allegations that some of the biggest meat processors have been selling rotten beef and poultry for years. Three plants have been closed and 21 others are being investigated. Much of the meat produced by these companies is exported to Europe and other parts of the world.

Operation Weak Flesh was launched in the early hours of Friday in six Brazilian states after a two-year investigation. Federal police carried out raids at 194 locations, deploying more than 1,000 officers.

The investigators allege that some managers bribed health inspectors and politicians to get government certificates for their products.

“They used acid and other chemicals to mask the aspect of the product. In some cases, the products used were carcinogenic,” a police spokesman told the BBC.

In other cases, potato, water and even cardboard and paper was mixed with chicken meat to increase profits.

Brazilian Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi will meet foreign ambassadors on Monday to reassure them and try to prevent sanctions being issued against Brazilian meat exporters.

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