EU audit again detects shortcomings in controls of Brazilian beef

The Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission (DG SANTE) published its second audit report on beef originating from Brazil, once again identifying deficiencies in Brazil’s control systems. The main focus of the report is ensuring that animals treated with estradiol 17β — a hormone banned in the European Union — do not enter the EU market.

According to the conclusions, although Brazil implemented a specific protocol and adopted corrective measures following previous observations, the critical recommendation issued in 2024 is not considered fully addressed. The Commission argues that the action plan was not implemented as recommended and that the measures adopted were not fully effective in excluding meat from treated animals from export.

The audit found that products derived from animals treated with estradiol 17β were included in shipments to the EU, covered by 15 sanitary certificates. It also pointed to a lack of communication to European importers regarding the presence of ineligible products in exported consignments, as well as shortcomings during the initial phase of implementation of the new protocol. The report concludes that these accumulated failures affect confidence in the Brazilian competent authority’s ability to ensure compliance with commitments made to the EU, in a context of increased scrutiny over sanitary control systems in international beef trade.