Arnold Prinsloo, CEO of meat producer Eskort, said South Africa risks a mid-winter food security crisis after banning chicken imports from Brazil amid an avian flu outbreak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mechanically deboned chicken meat from Brazil is used by Eskort and its competitors to make Polony, Viennas, Russians and Braaiwors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prinsloo said production lines will come to a standstill before the end of June if the ban on Brazilian chicken is not lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis will deprive South Africa\u2019s most vulnerable citizens of more than 400 million low-cost meals per month,\u201d said Prinsloo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVulnerable families and thousands of school feeding schemes rely heavily on polony, and there is a real danger of widespread hunger and malnutrition if Eskort and its competitors cannot sustain supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prinsloo urged the Department of Agriculture, which imposed the Brazil ban on 15 May 2025, to narrow the ban to chicken from Rio Grande Do Sul, the only state affected by avian flu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe rest of Brazil can be regarded as safe, and a pragmatic and proactive decision to accept imports on that basis will go a long way to heading off the looming crisis in South Africa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prinsloo called on the Department of Agriculture to rapidly process Brazil\u2019s application for a zoning agreement, which will allow it to apply for recognition of disease-free zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBrazil has indicated that it has submitted the necessary documentation and information to the department, but formal recognition and implementation remain outstanding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Industry bodies, including the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters and the South African Meat Processors Association, share Eskort\u2019s view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They have also urged the government to adopt a regionalised approach, in line with the World Organisation for Animal Health guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis will allow trade from unaffected regions of Brazil to continue, preserving supply chains while protecting public health,\u201d said Prinsloo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Philippines are among the countries that have adopted zoning strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This allows them to continue importing poultry from safe areas of Brazil while restricting products from affected zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prinsloo said South Africa imports about 19,000 tonnes of mechanically deboned chicken from Brazil every month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnce combined with other ingredients, such as fat, water and binders, 1kg of meat yields about 2.13kg of finished meat products,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Assuming a 100g portion size per meal, this translates to more than 404 million meals per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis estimate does not consider factors such as wastage, formulation differences across manufacturers, or products that use higher meat inclusion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat means the actual impact on the food system and vulnerable communities could be significantly higher than estimated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 4- to 6-week gap in supply due to the ban will also mean that many processors will face standing idle for more than 60 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It risks heavy job losses and instability in the lower LSM consumer segment. \u201cThis is not only a supply chain crisis, but also a pending socio-economic and political disaster,\u201d said Prinsloo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He disputed claims from South African poultry producers that they have the capacity to make up the chicken shortfall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt may be true when it comes to fresh or frozen chicken, but the local market doesn\u2019t produce mechanically deboned meat in any significant quantity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe rely on Brazil for 92% of our needs, which is why this is such a serious challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prinsloo said Eskort\u2019s manufacturing processes add a further layer of protection for consumers worried about avian flu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHeating mechanically deboned meat to more than 70\u00b0C will yield a safe product. This is standard in our production process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is one of the reasons Eskort has not had any food safety issues in its 108-year history.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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