THE human health issues associated with the import of South American meat products into the EU has to be a ‘game-changer’ in terms of the Mercosur Trade Deal, Galway IFA Chairman, Stephen Canavan told this week’s Farming Tribune.

His comments follow an Irish Farmers Journal [IFJ] investigative report into the ‘free availability’ of antibiotics and animal hormones, without any requirement for a veterinary prescription.

The Farmers Journal Beef Editor, Adam Woods along with the IFA’s Senior Policy Officer, Tomás Burke and the IFJ’s Photo Editor, Phil Doyle, carried out the investigation in Brazil where they completed wholesale purchases of animal antibiotics without prescription.

Stephen Canavan said that the investigation confirmed ‘without any doubt whatsoever’ the completely different standards that applied in the Brazil and the Mercosur countries as regards the free and uncontrolled availability of antibiotics and hormones.

“There are no safeguards in place over there as regards the purchase and use of animal antibiotics and hormones.

“How can the EU justify for one second stand over a trade deal that will allow meat products into Europe which can pose a real health risk to consumers. A line has to be drawn in the sand here,” said Stephen Canavan.

He said that last week – along with other members of an IFA delegation – they were in the Dáil for the vote opposing the Mercosur Trade Deal in its current format, which was passed without opposition.

“I think this latest investigation by the Farmers Journal with the support of the IFA should open the eyes of everyone across the EU, but especially consumers, who don’t know that they’re eating when they consume beef from the Mercosur countries [Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay].

IFA President Francie Gorman said that allowing in those meat products from the Mercosur countries ‘would fly in the face’ of all EU protocols in the fight against anti-microbial resistance (AMR) in humans.

“It completely undermines arguments by the EU Commission that the Mercosur trade deal should be approved because there is an ‘equivalence of standards’ between the Mercosur countries and the EU,” said Francie Gorman.

The aim of the Mercosur Deal is a phasing out of tariffs and duties on over 90% of goods traded between the EU and the South American trading block.

While providing new market opportunities for a range of EU products including wines, foods and dairy products, it would also allow for the importation of 99,000 tonnes of Mercosur beef into the EU at a preferential tariff rate of 7.5%, as compared to the old rate of over 40%.

Pictured: Stephen Canavan: Mercosur meat imports present serious human health issues.