China, Brazil working on beef traceability to ensure food safety

China and Brazil have set up a pilot program to trace the cross-border movement of beef, according to China Media Group (CMG).

The program was born out of recent bilateral consultations between GS1 China and competent authorities in Brazil to promote the sustainable development of beef trade between China and Brazil, the report said, noting that the bilateral cross-border trade traceability cooperation will help crack down on counterfeit beef products and ensure food safety.

The consultations were held with Brazilian representatives and experts in beef trade, food safety traceability, and environmental protection. They focused on the buildup of a globally unified beef traceability platform to guarantee the transparency of the beef supply chain and realize full-chain visibility.

The two sides held a unanimous opinion that globally unified standards are the foundation for conducting cross-border food traceability monitoring and are of vital significance in cracking down on counterfeit beef, ensuring domestic food safety, and improving the level of smart supervision.

GS1 China is a government agency under the State Administration for Market Regulation tasked with organizing, coordinating, and administrating article numbering and Auto-ID work throughout China.

The report said the consultations marked a new step between the two countries in beef trade and paved the way for further deepening of cooperation.

Zhou Zhiwei, an expert on Latin American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday that as the largest buyer of Brazilian beef, as well as other commodities such as soybeans, China has the right to demand that Brazilian exports meet certain health, safety, and quality standards. The setup of a traceability scheme could help achieve that.

Last March, ahead of a state visit by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to China, China resumed imports of Brazilian beef following a brief hiatus over a case of mad cow disease.

In addition, Zhou said such a system will be conducive to Brazil's efforts in promoting green agriculture.

China, the world's largest importer of beef, mainly imports beef from countries including Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Along with China's economic recovery, its beef imports continue to rise. In 2023, China imported 2.74 million tons of beef, with more than 40 percent sourced from the South American producer, data from Chinese customs showed.