The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has suspended imports of meat from establishments suspected to be involved in a Brazilian meat scandal.
On Wednesday, the department said it had asked Brazilian authorities to provide official information and a list of establishments that had been identified, regarding unsafe meat being exported to various countries, which could include SA.
"[The department] has also advised the Brazilian authorities to ban all exportation of meat from such establishments until the issue has been resolved to the satisfaction of the South African Veterinary Authority."
It is not known how many consignments may have already left Brazil and are on their way to SA.
However, the department said it was is in the process of ensuring that the establishments implicated were suspended from exporting meat to SA, until the Brazilian veterinary authority had fully investigated the matter.
Officials at all ports of entry that receive meat have been instructed to test every container of meat from Brazil using the existing policies regarding testing of consignments, the department said.
Consignments arriving at the ports of entry in the country may be tested microbiologically for organisms such as salmonella.
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