The EC already knew about beef contaminated with growth hormone in October 2025. It then conducted an audit, after which it alerted EU countries about the contaminated meat and recommended its removal from the market.
What is the new information about contaminated beef from Brazil?
What does the European Union recommend regarding beef exports from Brazil?
Why has Brazil not met the European Union's demands?
When is the next Brazilian beef audit due?
Now the final report has emerged, showing that Brazil has failed to comply with a key Community recommendation that would prevent undesirable products from cattle treated with estradiol from entering its territory. The Brazilians were to satisfactorily meet the recommendation regarding the operation of their laboratories.
Contaminated beef from Brazil. The EU demands decisive action
After reviewing the final report, EU Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi spoke to Brazilian Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro. The EC statement sent to RMF FM's correspondent in Brussels, Katarzyna Szymańska-Borginon, shows that the EU demands that Brazil “remove from the list of farms allowed for export the farms from which the bad beef came and others certified by a suspicious accreditation body.”
Brussels also wants the Brazilians to suspend the certificate-issuing body until it is proven that all shortcomings have been removed. It also demands the introduction of effective control mechanisms. The EC also announces another audit on this matter, which is to take place this year.
“During our conversation, Minister Carlos Favaro confirmed the immediate suspension of the unreliable certification body. A follow-up audit will verify whether the corrective actions meet EU requirements,” Varhelyi said in a post on the X website.
