The European Commission intends to propose re-listing Brazil as an approved source of poultry meat and honey, with member states expected to vote at the next meeting of the responsible committee, the Commission said on Wednesday, as reported by Reuters.
An EU ban on animal products from Brazil took effect in September, mainly affecting beef and poultry, as the bloc sought guarantees that antimicrobial substances prohibited in Europe were not used in production.
At a meeting with member states the Commission presented the findings of an audit of Brazilian poultry meat and honey and described the results as "positive". Questions about the scope of the proposal, the segregation system in place and controls on veterinary prescriptions were addressed, it said. Brazil had said last month that it expected to be re-listed soon, after EU inspectors judged its sanitary controls for poultry and honey "satisfactory".
Beef is a different matter. "For bovine products, Brazil is not yet able to reliably certify compliance with the lifetime requirements, and the Commission does not currently intend to propose re-listing this commodity," the Commission said.
Brazil is the world's largest exporter of beef and chicken and is home to major meat processors including JBS, MBRF and Minerva, so the decision splits the reopening of one of its most valuable export markets in two.
The report was carried by Melanie Epp for The Cattle Site, citing Reuters.
Photo: USDAgov / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Source: The Cattle Site
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