Brazil hit by foot and mouth outbreak

THE confirmation yesterday of a case of foot and mouth disease in Brazil reinforces the need for the total ban by the European Union on beef imports from that country, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) declared.

IFA president John Dillon, speaking in Cologne, Germany, where he is attending the Anuga international food and drinks fair, said the most serious risk with Brazilian beef is its unknown origin and lack of traceability.

“EU consumers and food safety agencies are demanding rigorous standards from European farmers and rightly so. However, the same cannot be said of the EU’s policing of imported products.”