UPDATE 1-Brazil's BRF sees food sales back to pre-pandemic levels during holiday season

(Adds quote, information on expected BRF sales, context)

By Roberto Samora

SAO PAULO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Brazilian pork and poultry processor BRF SA, owner of traditional brands like Sadia and Perdigao, expects food sales to return to pre-pandemic levels during the holiday season as consumers and families gather again after almost two years of social distancing.

In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Sidney Manzaro, who leads the company's Brazilian operation, said he does not expect the confirmation of the first Omicron coronavirus cases in Brazil on Tuesday to change the domestic food sales outlook.

"Celebrations, in homes among friends and family members, will be more intense than they are historically. We'll have a boom in end-of-year celebrations that will be more intense than in 2019," he said.

Coronavirus deaths have plummeted in recent months in Brazil, which has at multiple points been a global epicenter of the pandemic. Many authorities are pushing for raucous end-of-year and Carnival festivities. though some cities have canceled celebrations amid push back from epidemiologists.

Manzaro said that such cancellations might not be a bad for meat consumption, as they will push people toward house parties.

While he did not offer specific sales projections, he noted that poultry and pork consumption tend to increase more than beef consumption toward the end of the year, which benefits BRF's product mix. Stubbornly high inflation in Brazil has already pushed Brazilian consumers in that direction due to cost considerations.

"Beef is still out of the celebration mix," Manzaro said. "It's been continually losing market share." (Reporting by Roberto Samora Writing by Gram Slattery and Ana Mano Editing by Alistair Bell)