Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said late Friday it had adopted the mad cow safeguard of banning sick or injured cattle for human consumption, as requested by the United States of world beef exporters.
The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service sent letters to 10 exporting nations including Brazil earlier this month, saying beef exports would be blocked if nations did not comply with the new rules.
A statement from Marcio Rezende Carlos at the ministry's International Trade Control Division said Brazil is meeting the US guideline on "downer" cattle.
"The United States requested that animals that can not stand or walk should not be slaughtered for human consumption," the statement read. "Free of 'mad cow' disease, Brazil has adopted the measure to maintain its exports of canned, cooked and frozen beef to the North American market."
Brazil does not export fresh beef to the United States.
In the letter received by Brazil on January 8, the USDA demanded that beef exporting countries ban "downer" cattle, prohibit the use of air-stunning devices in cattle slaughter and impose stricter rules on handling brains, spinal material and other cattle parts most at risk of containing the prions that spread bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow.
The Agriculture Ministry's statement made no reference to the USDA's request to ban air-stunning devices, which are used in Brazilian slaughter houses, but only said Brazil had banned sick or injured cows for human consumption.
A ministry spokesman was not available for comment.
The stunning devices drive a small metal piston through the cow's skull with compressed air, knocking the animal unconscious as it enters the slaughtering floor.
US representatives should confirm that the safety measures have been adopted in the next inspection of Brazil's beef industry, scheduled for February, according to Carlos.