The National Farmers' Union (NFU) is calling on the UK government to introduce a precautionary ban on Brazilian beef and poultry imports unless Brazil can show it is using antibiotics responsibly.

The call follows concerns raised at EU level over Brazil's compliance with rules on the use of antimicrobials within livestock farming.

The European Commission has asked Brazil to provide evidence that its products of animal origin are not derived from animals treated with antimicrobials reserved for human health, or antibiotics used for growth promotion or yield improvement.

It has been reported that Brazil has until September 3, 2026 to provide the required evidence, with the EU set to remove its authorisation to export if the country fails to do so.

According to the NFU, Brazil has so far been unable to demonstrate that it is adhering to EU requirements.

Antibiotics

The use of antibiotics for growth promotion has been prohibited in the UK and EU since 2006.

The NFU noted that UK agriculture has also made "significant progress in tackling antimicrobial resistance", with antibiotic use falling by 60% since 2014.

The union added that antibiotics are now only used when there is a clinical need, while the use of antibiotics deemed critically important for human health has decreased by 83%.

However, the NFU raised concerns over the level of testing applied to imported animal products entering the UK.

It highlighted that only 94 samples of products of animal origin are only tested for residues of veterinary medicinal products at the UK border each year.

NFU

NFU president Tom Bradshaw urged government officials to uphold their responsibility to ensure that food entering the UK is safe and does not pose a risk to human health.

He said: "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.

Bradshaw stated that failing to act could pose "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," he added.

Brazilian imports

The NFU warned that if the UK does not follow suit with EU's ban on Brazilian products of animal origin, it could result in additional Brazilian beef and poultry being diverted towards the UK market.

According to the NFU, Brazil is the EU's largest supplier of chicken, exporting 211,000t to the bloc in 2025.

During the same year, the EU reportedly imported 92,363t of Brazilian beef, including 24,381t of fresh beef, making Brazil its second-largest beef supplier.

The NFU also noted that increased imports into the UK could distort the domestic market and place further pressure on British producers.

Bradshaw commented: "There is also 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.

"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."