Minas Gerais police conclude investigation into beer contamination.
According to the Civil Police of Minas Gerais, there is nothing to indicate an intentional action to harm the brewery.
By Alex Rodrigues - Reporter for Agência Brasil - Brasilia
The Civil Police of Minas Gerais concluded the investigation into the contamination of beers produced by the Backer brewery by a toxic substance whose consumption killed at least nine people and sent dozens of other consumers to the hospital.
As investigators had anticipated, the final conclusion rules out the possibility of sabotage. In other words, according to the Civil Police, there is nothing to indicate an intentional action to harm the brewery.
According to the Civil Police, the investigation has already accumulated around 4 pages. More than 70 people have given statements to teams coordinated by the 4th Police Station in Barreiro, a neighborhood in Belo Horizonte. Among them are victims, suspects, and witnesses. Furthermore, since January 5th, the Backer factory in the Minas Gerais capital and companies supplying raw materials have been the targets of forensic investigations or search and seizure warrants.
The contamination of entire batches of different types of beer produced by Backer was caused by the presence of the substance diethylene glycol. Due to its antifreeze properties, the substance is commonly used in refrigeration systems by various production sectors.