The United States announced Thursday it was halting all imports of fresh beef from Brazil, the world's second-largest producer, citing "recurring" food safety concerns.

The ban will remain in place until satisfactory corrective actions are taken, the US Department of Agriculture said in a statement.

"Although international trade is an important part of what we do at USDA, and Brazil has long been one of our partners, my first priority is to protect American consumers," US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said.

"That's what we've done by halting the import of Brazilian fresh beef."

The United States is the world's top beef producer.