UK groups urge immediate ban on Brazilian meat imports over health fears

British farming organizations and animal health experts have called for an urgent ban on imports of Brazilian meat, amid growing concerns over the safety of these products. The National Farmers' Union in England and its counterparts in the devolved administrations sent a letter to the government, warning that public health is now at risk.

The Guardian reported on Saturday that these bodies fear cattle and poultry in Brazil are routinely raised with antibiotics, after the country failed to prove its compliance with European Union regulations despite tightening some rules.

This comes as the European Union prepares next week to ban imports of Brazilian beef and chicken. However, the UK's departure from the EU means it is not bound by this decision. UK imports from Brazil have risen since Brexit, from around £3 billion in 2021 to £5 billion expected in 2025, with meat making up a significant portion. In 2024, Brazil accounted for about one-eighth of the UK's chicken imports.

British farmers, already struggling with falling meat prices and rising feed and energy costs, fear that the closure of the European market to Brazilian meat will lead to more of it being sent to the UK.

An Irish investigation last year revealed that Brazilian farmers can easily obtain antibiotics considered "critically important" in human medicine without a veterinary prescription, amid weak enforcement of traceability rules.

Health organizations warn that antibiotic resistance is a global crisis causing over a million deaths annually, cautioning that resistant pathogens can be transmitted through food. The government is also facing additional pressure after a salmonella outbreak linked to imported eggs resulted in one death and over 200 illnesses.