BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT Michel Temer this week launched a full-scale international charm offensive in defence of his country's beef industry, after 33 government officials were suspended amid allegations that bribes had changed hands to allow rotten beef and poultry meat to pass official inspection.

After a two-year investigation, federal police pulled the trigger of their 'Operation Weak Flesh' in the early hours of Friday March 17, sending out over 1000 officers to carry out raids in 194 meat plants, seeking evidence of unhygienic practices covered up by paid-off health inspectors. It was described in Brazil's media as the largest police operation in the country’s history.

More than 30 companies are currently in the investigation's sights, amongst them JBS, the world's largest beef exporter, and BRF, the world's top poultry producer. While both have denied the allegations – going so far as to place full-page ads in Brazil’s newspapers and run adverts on TV – their share prices have tumbled and huge international customers have started turning away their shipments.

Taken together, China and Hong Kong are the biggest export market for Brazilian meat, receiving around a third of the $5.5 billion of beef shipped last year. The European Union is the second-largest market, with 13% of the exports. In the same year, the US bought $297.8 million of Brazilian red meat.

China has temporarily suspended imports from Brazil, and goods currently at sea or at port will not be able to clear customs, pending an investigation by the China Meat Association.

The European Commission’s Health and Food Safety department is also seeking additional information from the Brazilian authorities, but added that it hasn’t found any irregularities with health certificates related to meat from Brazil since 2015.

With his country's biggest industry in an unflattering spotlight, President Temer, alongside agriculture minister Blairo Maggi, has already met with diplomats from the EU, Sweden, and Canada to insist that the vast majority of Brazil's slaughterhouses were properly audited, and that the problems that have been found are not "generalized or widespread", but very much the work of a few rogue individuals.

“This is an urgent issue since it has repercussions for us internally and abroad,” said President Temer. “We spoke with embassies so that they could pass the word onto their governments in regards to any concern from the previous days. I invite everyone to go out to a Brazilian steakhouse now,” he added, before hosting a dinner for 19 ambassadors at an all-you-can-eat steakhouse.

“Brazil’s industry is robust and strong but it isn’t infallible. We’re making sure that what’s being produced now is getting the proper inspection.”

President Temer stressed that, of more than 4000 meat plants in the country, only 21 are subject to continuing investigation. However, statements from Brazil's police force and prosecutors have continued to fuel the fire that he is trying so hard to put out.

Police have continued to focus attention on poultry giant BRF, saying that it had three cargoes of chicken tainted with salmonella still en route to Europe.

Police have also alleged that some of the mis-inspected meat, including sausages and cold cuts, had been adulterated with ingredients including pig heads, and that suspect smells had been masked by applying acid. Worse, prosecutors claimed that a percentage of the bribe money had found its way to two political parties from Brazil's governing coalition – including President Temer's own PMDB.