Representatives of the National Farmers’ Union and the Irish Farmers’ Association have recently questioned the safety of Brazilian beef exports since the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Brazil in 2005.

The essential facts, however, are that the disease was successfully contained within certain areas and that Brazil has adhered rigidly to the sanitary requirements imposed by the EU in the wake of the outbreaks. All of the 1,300 Brazilian farms licensed to export beef to the EU lie outside the affected areas and receive regular visits from EU veterinary inspectors. The EU’s Food and Veterinary Office also concluded in a recent report that controls for hygiene and traceability in slaughterhouses are satisfactory.

Moreover, all Brazilian exports to the EU are of boneless and matured meat – scientifically proven to be incapable of transmitting the foot-and-mouth virus.

The spectre of foot-and-mouth disease serves the commercial interests of Brazil’s competitors so it is perhaps no coincidence that unwarranted speculation about the safety of Brazilian beef comes as Brazil consolidates its position as not only the biggest exporter of beef to the UE but also the biggest beef exporter in the world, currently selling to more than 170 countries. This is a testament to the quality and competitive pricing of Brazilian beef, not to a disregard for safety measures.

On the subject of animal health it should also be noted that Brazil is entirely free of BSE (‘mad cow disease’), thanks in part to the system of extensive grazing in which Brazilian cattle are free to roam over a wide area rather than being closely confined.

Source: Embassy of Brazil in London