Brazilian police make new detentions in tainted meat scandal

BRASILIA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian police on Monday carried out a series of new detentions as part of the third phase of investigations into a tainted meat scandal that first erupted last year.

Pedro de Andrade Faria, former CEO of the country's food giant BR Brasil Foods (BRF), and other 10 executives from the company were detained, Federal police commissioner Mauricio Boscardi Grillo said.

Monday's operation targeted five laboratories accused of covering up salmonella in products from the BRF.

The federal police said in a statement that the laboratories accredited by the Brazilian Agricultural Ministry and the company's analysis departments falsified results shown to health inspectors.

Meanwhile, the agriculture ministry and the chicken producers association in Brazil denied that the tainted meat would lead to risks to public health.

The production of meat for domestic consumption had not been affected and there was no risk to public health, a ministry spokesperson said, adding that new measures would be taken to increase food safety.

The bacteria will be destroyed by high temperatures, he said.

The BRF is one of the largest food companies in the world, exporting products, primarily meat, to over 120 countries.

The first stage of the operation in March 2017 shut down a number of meat processing factories after finding that conglomerates including the BRF had been selling expired products and injecting water into meat to increase its weight. Enditem