OPERATION “CARNE FRACA”: rot goes way beyond meat!

Abstract

The paper approaches in a critical way the Operation “Carne Fraca”, started in 2017 by the Federal Police in Brazil, when it was discovered a scheme of adulteration of meat and illicit practices involving companies and public agents. The criticisms elaborated in the paper demonstrate that the quality of the meat, although relevant, is not the main problem in the slaughterhouses in Brazil. Therefore, reducing the analytical perspective only to this aspect contributes to mystify the terrible working conditions imposed in this economic sector and that will demonstrated throughout the article. The research was based on the documentary analysis with the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT), in particular, of the Public Civil Action (ACP) number 01428-2010-068-09-00-5, journalist sources and secondary data. It is concluded that, from a perspective centered on the analysis of the labor-health relationship, there is no way to reduce the debate either to the quality dimension of the commodity (meat) for consumption or to point to adjustments in factory environments restricted to the factory itself, with a view to minimizing the damages to the health of the workers.