KINGSTON, Jamaica — GraceKennedy Limited has announced that it is exploring steps to produce corned beef at its meat processing plant in Westmoreland.

Don Wehby, Group CEO of GraceKennedy, in a statement welcoming today’s lifting of a ban on corned beef imported from Brazil, said he has asked the company’s innovation team to “look at what it would take to produce corned beef at Grace Food Processors – our meat processing plant in Westmoreland”.

He said a report is expected from the team soon. 

The company’s Westmoreland plant already produces a range of meat products, including vienna sausages, frankfurters and hams.

“It would be great if we could deliver to our consumers ‘Grace Bully Beef’ manufactured in Savanna-La-Mar, Jamaica,” said Wehby.

Meanwhile, the group CEO noted that his company is pleased that the Government has lifted the ban as “this confirms that factories, which supply Jamaica, meet the highest level of international standards.”

He assured that his company always puts the health and safety of its consumers first as there can be no compromise on quality. 

“Our factories and suppliers must meet internationally recognised food industry standards,” he added.

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Karl Samuda announced the removal of the ban with immediate effect at a press conference this morning.

The ministry imposed a ban on the import of corned beef from Brazil after an emergency meeting on March 20 following reports from Brazilian authorities that several major Brazilian meat processors had been “selling rotten beef and poultry”.

However, the ban was lifted based on the positive findings presented in a report from the Jamaican delegation, which travelled to Brazil to meet with Brazilian authorities and inspected the operations of  beef suppliers.