October 11, 2006

NFU urges the EU commission to ban Brazilian beef now 

The National Farmers' Union urged the EU Commission to impose an immediate ban on Brazilian beef imports, ahead of the latter's  visit to the country next week, reported food safety commissioner Markos Kyprianou.

Though a strictly diplomatic mission to discuss food safety issues, Kyprianou's visit came close on the heels of an EU Food and Veterinary Office inspection (FVO). The inspection which ended this week was targeted at Brazil's foot-and-mouth disease controls.

A personal visit by the EU commissioner suggests an urgency about the issue, said NFU deputy president Meurig Raymond.

In that case, it would be safer to put an embargo now than  later.

Past inspections by FVO found numerous deficiencies in Brazil's disease controls, traceability and animal drug monitoring. The findings however, would not be made public for at least six months.