EU Blocks Brazilian Meat Imports Over Antibiotic Rules

The European Union will stop accepting a range of Brazilian animal products, including beef, poultry, horse meat, fish, honey and offal, from 3 September because the country has not demonstrated compliance with EU restrictions on the use of antibiotics in animal production. The decision follows a technical assessment that found Brazil’s documentation insufficient to prove that growth‑promoting antibiotics and those reserved for human medicine are not used. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay remain approved, leaving Brazilian exporters facing a loss of access to a market that, while smaller than China, is important for high‑value cuts and diversification.

At the same time, researchers at Brazil’s Federal Rural University of Pernambuco are developing a biotech solution that could reduce antibiotic reliance in animal reproduction. The team is testing donkey milk, which is rich in lysozyme, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase and other bioactive compounds, as a natural antimicrobial diluent for preserving equine semen. The aim is to create more sustainable protocols that lessen the need for conventional antibiotics, contributing to broader efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance.