From 3 September 2026, Brazilian beef, poultry and other animal products will no longer be authorised for import into the European Union (EU) or Northern Ireland. England, Scotland and Wales will continue accepting them during a separate UK assessment. The split concerns how antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines are used in farm animals.
Brazil has not provided the EU with sufficient guarantees that producers meet its rules on antimicrobial use. The regulation cites no tests showing Brazilian meat generally contains unsafe drug residues or antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The dispute concerns how the animals were raised and whether Brazil can verify compliance.
