EU auditing food safety and cattle traceability in Brazil

An EU technical team is currently assessing the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana to evaluate food safety and cattle traceability in the region.

The states are in a high vigilance zone (HVZ) in the areas bordering Paraguay, where special safety measures were applied to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth-disease (FMD) outbreaks.

The team has noted the improvements made in 2008, as currently all of the 800,000 head of cattle within the HVZ are individually traced and vaccinated, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture.

In addition, new electronic Transit Licenses, a document required for the movement of animals, are being issued.

Other Brazilian states are aiming to increase the number of farms permitted to export to the EU, despite the removal of the 12-15 percent price mark-up for traced animals eligible for exports to the EU due to lower demand.

Brazil exported 35,000 tonnes of beef to the EU last year, accounting for only 3 percent of total exports. The sharp fall in shipments was due to a partial ban imposed on Brazil by the EU since February on traceability and food safety issues.

Meanwhile, Brazil's Agriculture Ministry is working to open the Italian market for live feeder cattle from Santa Catarina, which is the only Brazilian state that is FMD-free without vaccination, a requirement by the EU for imports of live cattle.