The UK Government is being urged to take precautionary action over Brazilian beef imports ahead of an EU prohibition coming into force on 3 September.

The EU announced in May that Brazilian Products of Animal Origin (POAO) would be prohibited from entering the bloc after Brazil was unable to demonstrate compliance with EU antimicrobial resistance requirements.

That creates two immediate concerns for the UK: whether Brazilian meat entering this country can provide the necessary assurances over production and medicine use, and whether product previously destined for Europe could instead be diverted into the UK market.

The British Meat Processors Association has written to Defra Secretary of State Dame Angela Eagle supporting concerns raised by the four UK farming unions and calling for action while the UK conducts its own assessment.

BMPA Chief Executive John Powell said:

“The BMPA has raised concerns with the UK government that the EU’s forthcoming ban on Brazilian beef could severely impact the UK market and damage consumer confidence in British beef. The risk is that larger volumes of Brazilian meat from animals treated with high levels of antibiotics originally intended for the EU market could instead be diverted into the UK market, particularly via the food service route where origin is not specified.

“Given that the EU ban was announced on 12 May, we are disappointed that the UK Government only announced in July its intention to conduct its own assessment of the safety of Brazilian beef which may not be concluded until the end of 2026 or even into 2027. We have urged Defra to urgently complete and publish this assessment. Until it does consumers remain at risk of consuming unsafe Brazilian beef, potentially also damaging the reputation of UK beef.”

The concern about diversion is not theoretical. According to the farming unions, Brazil exported 92,363 tonnes of beef and beef products to the EU in 2025. With that market closing, the UK represents a nearby, high-value alternative destination. They also warn that existing UK tariffs may not be sufficient to prevent significant quantities being redirected here.

Food service is a particular concern. Much of the Brazilian meat currently imported into Great Britain enters this sector, where consumers will often have no way of knowing the origin of the meat they are eating. That means any subsequent food safety concerns risk damaging confidence not simply in Brazilian imports, but in beef more generally.

BMPA does not believe the UK needs to wait for its full assessment before acting.

At the very least, we are calling on Government to schedule an official veterinary inspection visit to Brazil and suspend imports pending its outcome as a safeguard measure. In parallel, the UK Chief Veterinary Officer could consider the conclusions reached by the EU following its own investigations when assessing the immediate risk.

This would provide protection for the UK market while allowing the Government’s more detailed assessment to continue.

The farming unions have gone further, calling for a UK-wide prohibition on Brazilian POAO until Brazil can demonstrate lifetime traceability for animal products entering Great Britain, alongside an in-person audit, increased border checks and randomised and risk-based residue testing. BMPA broadly supports the concerns and precautionary approach set out in that letter.

The fundamental point is that the EU decision represents a sufficiently serious warning from one of the UK’s largest and closest trading partners that it cannot simply be ignored while a separate UK process potentially runs into next year.

Government has an opportunity to act before a problem emerges. A temporary safeguard, backed by an urgent veterinary inspection and assessment by the Chief Veterinary Officer, would protect consumers, domestic producers and confidence in British beef while the evidence is established. It would also avoid the potential political fallout when people discover that precautionary measures weren’t taken for three or four months after the problem was first known about.