Farming unions across the UK are urging the government to ban imports of Brazilian meat and align with new European Union restrictions that take effect next week.
The National Farmers’ Union, NFU Scotland, the Ulster Farmers’ Union, and NFU Cymru have sent a joint letter to Defra Secretary of State Angela Eagle calling for a UK-wide ban on Brazilian products of animal origin (POAO) from 3 September.
UK-wide ban proposed
The unions warned that inaction would put public health, farm businesses, and public confidence in UK food at risk.
The EU has implemented the ban after Brazil failed to demonstrate compliance with rules on antimicrobial resistance, which are designed to prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant infections. The restriction also applies to several European Economic Area countries, including Norway.
“Ensuring the health and safety of the nation is a core responsibility of any government and the UK has long recognised the risks posed by AMR,” the presidents of the farming unions said in the letter.
“UK farmers have worked hard to cut antibiotic use and maintain some of the highest production standards in the world – we should demand the same of our imported food.”
Traceability concerns
The use of antibiotics for growth promotion has been banned in the UK and EU since 2006. UK farmers have voluntarily reduced antibiotic use by nearly 60% since 2014, relying on them only when there is a clinical need.
The unions warned that a failure to act would undermine this progress and expose the public to antimicrobial resistance. They also highlighted the risk that consumers might not be aware of what they are eating, noting that most Brazilian meat enters the UK foodservice sector, which does not require country of origin labelling.
“Failure to act will not only expose the nation to a public health risk, but damage consumer confidence in beef and poultry as a whole,” the presidents stated.
They added that the decision would complicate trade with farmers in Northern Ireland and create a risk of Brazilian meat being diverted onto the Great Britain market.
“The absence of any government response is unacceptable, particularly when there is a direct risk to public health and credible reports of significant disruption across the GB supply chain,” they wrote.
The unions have called for more than just a ban. They have requested an audit of Brazilian production and traceability systems, an increase in checks on Brazilian POAO entering the UK, and the establishment of a wider UK framework on core production standards that apply equally to domestic and imported products.