Less than a year after letting Brazilian beef back in, the US has banned it, reflecting a loss in confidence in Brazil’s control systems. This puts the spotlight on the EU, which is supposedly guided by the precautionary principle, to the extent where it ignores the WTO ruling and continues to ban the use of hormones in beef production.

If the ultra-cautious approach is justifiable in the interests of consumers, preventing farmers in the process from achieving maximum output and efficiency, surely the same principle should apply to imports?

If Brazil’s official controls aren’t considered sufficient for US authorities, how are they sufficient to satisfy the EU? Despite the US’s relaxed approach to hormone use, it appears to want to protect consumers from countries that have had systemic failures in recent months.