The NFU is calling on the UK government to place a precautionary ban on imports of Brazilian beef and chicken, if the country cannot show that it is using antibiotics responsibly.
The call comes after the EU asked Brazil to provide evidence that its beef and poultry products are not derived from animals that have been treated with critical antimicrobials that are reserved for human health or used for growth promotion or yield improvement.
The EU has set a deadline of 3 September and has said it will remove Brazil’s authorisation to export products of animal origin to the bloc. So far, Brazil has been unable to demonstrate that it is adhering to EU rules.
The NFU has long-called for a set of core production standards that would apply to both domestically produced and imported food sold in the UK.
Stressing that a failure to mirror any EU ban here in the UK risks eroding public trust in the food sold in Britain, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Maintaining trust in British meat must remain a priority and that’s why we advocate for clear country of origin labelling, particularly in the food service industry.”
“Unless there is full confidence that Brazilian meat has been produced responsibly, the government should take the same precautionary approach as the EU and ban the import of Brazilian products.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
Antimicrobial resistance
It would also undermine UK farmers’ world-leading work on antimicrobial resistance – the rise of infections in animals and humans that are unaffected by some of our most important medicines – with potential impacts for public health.
An impressive voluntary effort there has reduced UK sales of farm antibiotics by 60% since 2014, while retaining use for clinical needs. The reduction in the use of antibiotics critically important for human health stands at 83%.
The use of antibiotics for growth promotion has been banned in the UK and EU since 2006.
“A key responsibility of government is to ensure that products entering the UK are safe and do not pose a public health risk,” Tom continued.
“Unless there is full confidence that Brazilian meat has been produced responsibly, the government should take the same precautionary approach as the EU and ban the import of Brazilian products. It should also increase the frequency of testing for products entering the UK from high and medium risk countries such as Brazil.
“If it does not, there are wider reputational risks for the British beef and poultry sectors. Public confidence could be undermined if consumers believe the UK is importing beef or poultry meat that the EU has deemed unsafe.”
“Maintaining trust in British meat must remain a priority and that’s why we advocate for clear country of origin labelling, particularly in the food service industry.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
Trade impacts
An EU ban without action here could also prompt a significant influx of Brazilian beef and poultry imports originally intended for the bloc, the NFU has said.
Brazil is the EU’s largest supplier of chicken, exporting 211,000 tonnes to the bloc in 2025. In the same year, the EU imported 92,363 tonnes of Brazilian beef, including 24,381 tonnes of fresh beef, making Brazil its second largest supplier.
“There is a real risk that Brazilian beef and poultry originally destined for the EU could be diverted to the UK market, distorting trade and putting additional pressure on domestic producers,” Tom added.
The NFU has said that, once introduced, any ban should not be lifted until Defra has conducted an extensive, in-person audit of Brazilian production and traceability.
It also wants to see a step change in testing on Brazilian products of animal origin at the UK border. Imports of Brazilian products of animal origin currently face limited testing, with only 94 samples tested for residues of veterinary medicinal products in 2023-2024.
