Ref. Ares(2025)2700008 - 03/04/2025
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY
Crisis Preparedness in Food, Animals and Plants
Official Controls
Brussels
SANTE.G.4/(2025)
By email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject:
Clarification request EASE 2025/1473
Dear Mr Di Donfrancesco,
I am writing concerning your request for access to Commission documents registered on 13 March
2025 under case numbers EASE 2025/1473, in which you asked the following information:
-- 2024 Data on female beef Imports from Brazil before the recent suspension for the presence of
hormone oestradiol 17β;
-- 2024/early 2025 Data on male beef imports from Brazil;
-- information on whether the imports have resumed and the suspension has been lifted;
-- names of the main importers/exporters of such products;
-- information on the company/companies whose beef was contaminated with the hormone oestradiol
17β;
-- 2024 import data on other type of beef byproducts.
Please note that data on male or female beef are not available in TRACES(1) since the information
on the sex of slaughtered animals is not present in model certificates or entry documents regarding
meat of bovine animals laid down in EU legislation.
Restrictions on exports of beef from Brazil are in place. Following an
audit carried out by the
Commission which had led to some recommendations, Brazil is working on necessary corrective
actions and has confirmed that only meat from male bovine animals is exported to the EU until the
necessary guarantees are in place to ensure that the female bovine animals, from which the meat is
exported to the EU, have never been treated with any hormones for reproductive or zootechnical
purposes. Brazilian competent authorities have indicated to DG SANTE that,
since 23 January 2025,
no meat from female animals has been exported to the EU. Export of meat from females will only
resume once a new certification system, based on a private protocol, supervised by Brazilian
competent authorities, is fully operational. This decision is supported by an internal instruction that
(1) https://food.ec.europa.eu/horizontal-topics/traces_en
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË – Tel. +32 22991111
was issued by the Brazilian ministry of agriculture and livestock (MAPA) through Joint circular
letters that are not publicly available in Brazil.
The private protocol has been approved by MAPA through this ordinance:
SDA/MAPA
ORDINANCE NO. 1,228, OF JANUARY 16, 2025 - SDA/MAPA ORDINANCE NO. 1,228, OF
JANUARY 16, 2025 - DOU - Imprensa Nacional
A follow-up audit will be carried out in Brazil to check whether their system is robust and ensures
full compliance with EU requirements.
During the audit carried out by SANTE, there was no beef contaminated with oestradiol detected. See
the audit re
port 2024-8087.
Please be informed that according to EU legislation, certain establishments and economic operators
are publicly available as follows:
- in third countries at:
https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/biological-safety/food-hygiene/non-eu-countries-authorised-
establishments_en
- in Member States at:
https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/biological-safety/food-hygiene/approved-eu-food-establishments_en
If the material above is not sufficient, in line with Article 6(2) of
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001
regarding public access to documents, I kindly invite you to send more detailed information on the
specific kind of data you request, such as: what explicitly is meant by “other type of beef byproducts.
The 15 working days to reply to your request will start running only when you reply to this message. If
you do not reply within 7 working days, I will close this case in line with our detailed rules for the
application of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.
Yours sincerely,
Peter BOKOR
Head of Unit
2
Electronically signed on 03/04/2025 16:24 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121
