Agriculture and Commerce Minister Karl Samuda says the temporary ban on the import and sale of corned beef from Brazil has been lifted with immediate effect.

Speaking at a press conference in Jamaica this morning, Mr Samuda said a team of technical officials visited Brazil last week and inspected facilities which export most of the corned beef imported by the island.

He said the institutions were found to be in compliance with international standards.

Ninety-nine-point-five per cent of the corned beef supplied to Jamaica comes from Brazil.

Mr Samuda stated that the results of tests on samples of corned beef on the local market conducted by the Bureau of Standards and other agencies found that the items met normal standards.

The agriculture and commerce minister said he decided to lift the ban based on these factors.

Mr Samuda said his ministry will continue to monitor the situation.