Home News Minister\'s letter of serious concern on Brazil beef

MINISTER for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan has written to the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer protection, Markos Kyprianou, outlining her serious concerns in relation to the traceability of Brazilian beef.

In a strong worded letter, seen by the Farming Independent, the minister said that matters of "equivalence" were regularly brought to her attention and indeed questioned, especially in the context of traceability, controls on veterinary medicines, prohibited substances and residues monitoring programmes.

She says that "naturally and in view of its increasing presence on the EU beef market, Brazilian beef is regularly mentioned."

She adds that she has "misgivings regarding all the relevant controls in operation in the beef sector in Brazil as 'equivalent' from an EU consumer's standpoint and I believe that this area merits closer examination."