The European Union has no plans to eliminate the Swiss cervelat, but it is resolute in its commitment to protect its citizens’ health: indeed, the EU banned imports of Brazilian beef intestines over concerns about Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease.
A report from 2007 identified a number of serious and repeated deficiencies in Brazil's animal health and traceability systems. These include non-compliance with EU requirements regarding holding registration, animal identification and movement controls for bovine animals.
Despite a series of warnings from the commission after previous inspections, the Brazilian authorities failed to take the appropriate measures to correct these problems and to fully meet EU requirements.
The USA, Australia and Japan have also put in place a precautionary embargo.
Switzerland, which isn't an EU member state, has accepted to observe food directives from Brussels. |