Brazilian chicken meat: EU audit positive, but imports remain suspended

A positive signal from Brussels for Brazil on the antimicrobial front, but chicken meat exports to the European Union cannot resume yet. On 28 September 2026, the European Commission published the final report of the audit carried out in the country between 24 August and 4 September.

The two auditors from the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) concluded that Brazil’s official control system is capable of providing the guarantees required under EU legislation for broiler poultry meat and related products, as well as for honey and other apiculture products.

During the mission, controls throughout the supply chain were examined, including visits to slaughterhouses authorised to export to the EU, broiler farms, feed manufacturers, veterinary medicine stores and honey establishments. The auditors also reviewed documentation relating to hatcheries and information provided by operators in the beekeeping sector.

The favourable outcome of the audit, however, does not automatically reopen the market. The Commission could propose reinstating Brazil in Annex XVIa for the poultry and honey sectors. The proposal would then have to be submitted to a vote by Member States within SCoPAFF (Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed). The committee’s next meetings are scheduled for 20–21 October and 16–17 November 2026.

In the meantime, Brazil remains excluded from Annex XVIa. Since 3 September 2026, consignments subject to the new restrictions on antimicrobial use and certified on or after that date have not been authorised for entry into the EU.

The decision was not based on evidence of violations involving specific Brazilian consignments, but on the lack of sufficient guarantees regarding the functioning of the country’s control system. The EU rules concerned cover the use of antimicrobials to promote growth or increase yield, as well as the use in food-producing animals of antimicrobials reserved for the treatment of certain human infections.

Brazil plays a significant role in the European poultry market. In 2024, the EU imported around 286,936 tonnes of poultry meat, expressed in carcass weight, from the country, worth approximately €625 million. Brazil accounted for 32% of extra-EU poultry meat imports by volume, making it the leading individual country of origin.

The report published on 28 September, however, covers a specific scope: broiler poultry meat and related products, honey and other apiculture products. It therefore does not assess the conditions for the resumption of exports of other categories affected by the restrictions. For beef, the sources indicate that a separate audit would be required.

For the European poultry sector, any resumption of Brazilian poultry meat imports would therefore have significant commercial implications. The issue now depends on the next steps in the EU procedure and, in particular, on Brazil’s possible reinstatement in Annex XVIa.