By Brazil Stock Guide — Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry said on Monday (October 19) that it does not plan to recall poultry products following confirmation of a Newcastle disease outbreak at a commercial turkey farm in Nova Itaberaba, in the southern state of Santa Catarina.
Acting Secretary of Agricultural Defense Allan Alvarenga said poultry products that have undergone official sanitary inspection remain safe for human consumption. Authorities will cull and dispose of approximately 6,000 turkeys at the affected property as part of measures to contain the outbreak.
“There is no risk to the population from consuming these products. There will be no product recall and no return of birds to the farm,” Alvarenga told a news conference at the ministry’s headquarters.
The official said the birds at the affected farm had shown no clinical symptoms and had not left the property, meaning they had not entered the meat supply chain.
Poultry products originating from other farms within the restricted area also remain safe for consumption, provided they have passed federal, state or municipal sanitary inspections, Alvarenga said.
Authorities are preparing a depopulation operation at the affected farm, which will involve culling the birds, disposing of the carcasses and thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the facilities. Technical planning for the operation began on Monday.
The outbreak comes in Santa Catarina, one of Brazil’s major poultry-producing states, where animal health controls are particularly important to the industry. The ministry’s immediate response is focused on containing the disease while reassuring consumers that inspected poultry products remain safe.
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