May 6, 2020

BRF SA targeted by Brazilian prosecutors to close meat plants

The prosecutors aimed to close one BRF-owned meat plant and another owned by a non-listed meatpacker, adding to the number of meatpacking facilities that have shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19, reported Reuters.

A lawsuit was filed to suspend operations for 15 days at both plants. The request follows labour inspectors' orders to close another JBS SA plant over COVID-19 concersn.

BRF said in a statement that it maintains its workers' safety commitments through the mandatory use of wearing masks and observing social distancing between workers in the facility, among other new measures.

Sérgio Diefenbach, a Brazilian state prosecutor, said the number of COVID-19 cases at Lajeado, where the facilities are located suggests the plants are pandemic hotspots.

Rio Grande do Sul health authorities said COVID-19 has spread to a minimum nine meat processors in the state. This includes a BRF plant located in Marau. About 16,345 workers have been exposed to the virus, said the authorities.

-      Reuters