Brazil approved a Certification Protocol for Antimicrobial-Free Cattle with the aim of complying with the new requirements of the European Union (EU) and preventing its meat exports from being excluded from that market from September 3, 2026.
The initiative, promoted by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), seeks to demonstrate that animals destined for the European market did not receive certain antimicrobials at any stage of their lives, a condition that Brussels considers essential to authorize the entry of products of animal origin.
The European Union’s decision is not in response to food safety problems or the detection of antibiotic residues in Brazilian meat.
This refers to the application of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/905, legislation that forms part of the “One Health” strategy, aimed at combating antimicrobial resistance. Since 2023, European manufacturers have been prohibited from using certain antibiotics considered critically important for human medicine.
From September of this year, that same condition will be required of countries that export meat and other products of animal origin to the community bloc.
The European Commission maintains that exporting countries had enough time to adapt their production and certification systems, so the new requirements will begin to be applied without modifications.
Having failed to provide sufficient guarantees to demonstrate compliance with these requirements, Brazil was removed from the list of countries authorized to export various products of animal origin to the European Union.
The measure mainly affects beef, although it also includes other products such as poultry, honey, eggs, aquaculture products and other foods of animal origin.
In contrast, Argentine, Uruguay, and Paraguay remain authorized to export to the European market under the current scheme.
The system approved by the Brazilian government will be voluntary and will be based on a comprehensive animal traceability model.
Each bovine must be individually identified through the SISBOV system, allowing its history to be tracked from birth to slaughter. In addition, records of health, feeding, and veterinary drug use must be maintained, along with periodic audits conducted by accredited certification bodies and supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The aim is to provide European authorities with documentary evidence that the animals intended for export never received the antimicrobials restricted by EU regulations.
One of the biggest obstacles for Brazil is that part of its production system uses ionophores, such as monensin, an additive widely used to improve feed efficiency and livestock performance.
Although Brazilian authorities maintain that these products do not pose a risk to human health, European legislation includes them among the substances whose use must be controlled to guarantee access to the market.
In addition, the protocol is only just beginning to be implemented and, as acknowledged by entities within the Brazilian livestock sector itself, there are still no certified establishments, which makes it difficult to demonstrate compliance with the new requirements before the deadline.
