British farmers have urged ministers to impose a precautionary ban on Brazilian beef and chicken imports over fears the meat could pose a risk to human health after the EU blocked supplies. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) says the UK should follow the EU's lead after Brussels ruled that Brazil had failed to show it complies with strict rules designed to combat antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance concerns
The use of certain antibiotics in farm animals has raised concerns about the emergence of resistant superbugs that can cause illness in humans and are difficult to treat. The warning comes with another concern for consumers: if Brazilian meat ends up in burgers, curries, pies, or other meals served in pubs, restaurants, and fast food outlets, customers are often not told which country it came from. The NFU says this makes country of origin labelling in the food service sector increasingly important if imports continue.
EU ban and UK response
The EU will stop allowing Brazilian products of animal origin onto the bloc from September 3 after concluding Brazil had been unable to demonstrate compliance with rules banning exports from animals treated with certain antibiotics reserved for human medicine or used to promote growth. The UK has not announced similar action. British farmers fear that if Britain keeps its borders open while Europe closes its own, meat originally destined for the EU could instead be diverted to the UK.
The NFU is also calling for much tougher border checks, pointing out that only 94 samples of Brazilian products of animal origin were tested by the UK for veterinary medicine residues between April 2023 and March 2024, despite 114,442 tonnes being imported during that period. Brazil is already a significant supplier of meat to Britain: in 2025, the UK imported 25,093 tonnes of beef and 28,712 tonnes of poultry meat from the country.
NFU president's statement
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: "A key responsibility of government is to ensure that products entering the UK are safe and do not pose a human health risk. 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."
UK efforts to cut antibiotic use
The NFU says British farmers have spent years cutting antibiotic use in livestock, with overall use falling by 60% since 2014, while the use of antibiotics regarded as critically important for human health has dropped by 83%. Antibiotics have been banned for growth promotion in both the UK and EU since 2006. The union argues that allowing imports from countries that cannot demonstrate equivalent standards risks undermining those efforts and could weaken public confidence in British food.
Potential diversion of exports
The EU imported 211,000 tonnes of Brazilian chicken last year, making Brazil its largest poultry supplier. It also bought 92,363 tonnes of Brazilian beef, including 24,381 tonnes of fresh beef. Mr. Bradshaw warned that Britain could become an alternative destination for those exports if the EU market closes. He said: "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."
Labelling gaps
Under current rules, shoppers buying fresh meat in supermarkets can usually see where it originated on the packaging. However, diners eating in many pubs, restaurants, cafes, and fast food outlets are generally not routinely told the country of origin of the meat they are served, meaning they may have little idea whether their burger, steak, or chicken dish was produced in Britain or imported from overseas. The Government has not announced whether it intends to mirror the EU's ban.
