Why the USDA Suspended All Fresh Brazilian Beef in 2017

The USDA suspended all imports of fresh beef from Brazil on June 22, 2017, citing recurring concerns about the safety of products intended for the American market. Leading up to the halt, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) had been inspecting 100% of Brazilian meat arrivals. During that period, inspectors refused entry to 11% of Brazilian fresh beef products, a rejection rate that stood in stark contrast to the roughly 1% rejection rate for meat coming from the rest of the world. In total, 106 lots—amounting to approximately 1.9 million pounds of beef—were turned away for issues ranging from public health concerns to poor sanitary conditions and animal health problems.

This 2017 crackdown did not happen in a vacuum. It followed a massive investigation by Brazilian federal police known as Operation Weak Flesh (Carne Fraca), which targeted major meatpackers including JBS and BRF. Authorities alleged that health inspectors were bribed to overlook serious violations, such as the processing of rotten meat and the shipment of exports containing traces of salmonella. The fallout was immediate and international, as China, the EU, South Korea, and Chile announced restrictions on Brazilian meat following the scandal. While the USDA noted that none of the rejected lots actually entered the US market, the high failure rate at the border made the suspension necessary to protect domestic standards.

The suspension of raw intact beef from Brazil remained in place for nearly three years. It wasn't until February 21, 2020, that the FSIS lifted the suspension after conducting audits and determining that Brazil's food safety system was equivalent to that of the United States. Even with the lifting of the ban, the decision faced pushback from various American cattlemen and food safety groups who remained skeptical of the oversight systems in place. The history of these interruptions shows how complex the global beef supply chain is and how often international trade relies on self-reporting and government trust.

Animal disease reporting has also been a recurring friction point. In September 2021, Brazil had to suspend beef exports to China after confirming two cases of atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease. A similar event occurred in February 2023, when exports to China were halted due to a BSE case in the state of Para. These incidents highlighted concerns about how quickly these cases are disclosed to the international community. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association later pointed out that the 2023 event began in mid-January but wasn't confirmed and reported until late February, a 35-day lag that sits outside the 24-hour reporting standard requested by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Beyond sanitary issues, there are differences in what additives are permitted in the feed. In the United States, ractopamine, a beta-agonist feed additive, is legal within specific residue limits. However, ractopamine is banned or restricted in about 168 nations, including the European Union and China. The USDA actually runs a "Never Fed Beta-Agonists" verification program specifically so American producers can sell beef to those international markets that refuse it. Similarly, the EU has banned imports of beef from cattle given growth-promoting hormones since 1989, a policy the United States and Canada have fought at the World Trade Organization for decades.

Despite these regulatory hurdles and trade disputes, the volume of imported beef continues to climb. By 2025, Brazilian beef shipments to the US topped $1.75 billion, which was a 39% increase over the previous year. This surge in imports comes at a time when the US cattle herd is at its lowest level since the 1950s. Many American companies buy lean Brazilian beef to blend with domestic trimmings to create the hamburger meat found in supermarkets and fast-food chains. Even with significant tariffs applied in late 2025 that temporarily reduced these shipments, the reliance on foreign supply remains high to keep retail prices down.

The challenge for the average shopper is knowing where their meat actually originates. In December 2015, Congress repealed mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for beef muscle cuts and ground beef. This means grocery store beef does not have to state which country it came from. A new voluntary "Product of USA" label rule set for 2026 will require that meat carrying that specific mark comes from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the US. Until then, beef could be imported from Brazil or Argentina, processed in a domestic facility, and still be labeled in a way that obscures its foreign origin.

What this means for your table: when you buy beef from a grocery store, you are often buying a commodity product sourced from a global supply chain where safety standards and pharmaceutical regulations vary wildly by country. You generally cannot know the specific ranch or even the specific country the animal was raised in, let alone the exact conditions of its life. The 2017 suspension of Brazilian beef was a rare moment where the curtain was pulled back on the risks of relying on a consolidated, international meat packing industry that prioritizes volume and low costs over localized accountability.

At Long Road Ranch in Georgetown, Texas, we don't participate in that global commodity system. Our cattle are 100% Wagyu genetics, raised on Central Texas pasture from birth to finish. We don't use grain finishing, feedlots, or added hormones. Because we sell by the share—eighths, quarters, halves, or whole steers—our customers know exactly which animal their beef came from. Every steer is processed at a USDA-inspected facility, but the chain of custody remains short and transparent. We don't ship our beef across oceans or state lines; we hand-deliver it to families in the Greater Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth areas or offer pickup right here at the ranch.

The history of international beef recalls and suspensions serves as a reminder that transparency is often the first thing sacrificed in a mass-market supply chain. While federal inspectors work to catch safety issues at the border, the sheer scale of imports makes 100% inspection difficult to maintain indefinitely. By choosing a local Texas ranch, you remove the guesswork regarding sanitary conditions, animal health reporting, and chemical additives. You aren't just buying meat; you are opting out of a system that has, at various points in history, been forced to stop entire countries from importing due to recurring safety concerns.

To learn more about how we manage our herd and ensure the quality of our beef, you can read about what makes Wagyu different or explore the details of our grass-fed and grass-finished philosophy. We believe that by keeping the process simple—one ranch, one animal, and one local family—we provide a level of security that a global market simply cannot match. If you want to see how we handle our beef shares and custom cut sheets, you can view our how it works page for more information on our current drops.

Want beef you can trace to one animal? Claim a share of a real steer — one-time purchase, cut to your spec, raised on grass here in Georgetown.