Minerva SA, a Brazilian meat packer, said in a filing this week that it is able to ship fresh beef to the United States from two of its plants. Brazil has been an exporter of cooked beef to the U.S., but this marks the first time a Brazilian processor has received authorization from the Agriculture Ministry and the USDA for fresh beef shipments, reports Reuters.

In August, Brazilian and U.S. officials finalized the exchange of food safety equivalence documents, a move that Brazil expects will increase its fresh and frozen beef exports by as much as $900 million a year to the United States.

 The USDA has determined that Brazil’s food safety system for beef was up to U.S. standards. Individual meat processing plants must clear sanitary inspection and receive authorization from Brazil and U.S. regulators before they can ship to the United States,

Source: Reuters