October 31, 2006

Brazilian beef inspection questioned in Europe

Farmers for Fairness in Europe wrote to the president of the European Commission and to the Food and Veterinary Office demanding answers about Brazilian beef inspections.

FVO inspectors were not sampling beef carcasses in Brazilian abattoirs for growth promoters, said the association, an umbrella group representing organisations from Britain, Ireland and the EU.

The FVO and EU food safety commissioner Markos Kyprianou had a legal duty to protect consumers from unsafe food being imported into the EU, said Howard Quayle, FFE honorary patron and president of Manx NFU.

FFE wanted an immediate ban on Brazilian beef apart from answers as to why the FVO were not testing for growth promoters, from the highest levels.

When WTO and other agendas were put before food safety in the EU, questions had to be asked, added William Taylor, FFE co-ordinator and Northern Ireland's Farmers for Action co-ordinator.