Figures seen by the Irish Farmers Journal show that since April until the end of May, a total of 4,416 Brazilian consignments of animal origin were checked in compliance with EU check criteria.

Of this number, 108 consignments (1.8%) were rejected. Some 71% of these consignments were poultry meat, which were rejected due to salmonella.

Just 4% of rejected products were beef products, which were declined for STEC reasons (ie product is tested for Shiga toxin-producing E coli.

A further 2% of consignments were rejected due to drug residues on horsemeat, while 23% of the remaining meat products were rejected for other reasons.

Since April 2017, the EU has reinforced checks on Brazilian animal-origin products following the scandal that has engulfed the Brazilian meat industry.

Now, 100% of products are subject to physical checks and 20% subject to microbiological checks.

IFA poultry chair Nigel Renaghan said everyone had a pre-conceived idea it was beef that was mostly affected and that poultry meat shouldn’t be sacrificed in the Mercosur trade deal.

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