The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) amended its regulations to allow the importation of fresh (chilled or frozen) beef from the Patagonia region in Argentina and 14 states in Brazil under specific conditions that mitigate the risk of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). APHIS risk assessments indicate that beef from those regions can be safely imported, provided certain conditions are met to ensure the beef will not harbor the FMD virus. The risk assessments also concluded that Argentina and Brazil are able to comply with U.S. import certification requirements.
Because APHIS regulations and conditions address potential animal health risks Brazil and Argentina also need to meet food safety standards prior to being able to export this beef to the United States. USDA will assess those countries' meat inspection systems to determine equivalence with U.S. standards through a review of their regulatory programs, as well as an in-country audit of their food safety systems.
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