The IFA has welcomed a decision by the European Commission to ban all imports to the EU of Brazilian beef from Friday.
The ban follows the apparent failure of the Brazilian authorities to provide a credible list of beef farms which would meet EU traceability and consumer health concerns.
EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said Brussels had given the Brazilian authorities 'many opportunities' to solve weaknesses identified in their export system.
The weaknesses, he said, had not justified an immediate ban, but their continuation had raised significant concerns about the efficacy of the Brazilian control systems and 'that's why we're moving into this system of having a positive list'.
He added that if farms already inspected by EU officials could come forward with further auditing and guarantees then a 'positive' list of holdings could emerge and exports resume.
'That might happen the day after tomorrow, or next week,' he said. 'Our only concern is the safety of EU consumers.'
An agreement between the EU and Brazil had been reached in December, whereby the Brazilian authorities would provide a list of 300 holdings which could be policed and subjected to proper food and veterinary audits.
The list should have been made available to Brussels by the end of this month. Brazil has some 10,000 beef producing farms in total.
Brazilian authorities arrived in Brussels on Monday and gave the EC a list of 2,700 farms, and not the 300 which had already been agreed.
It is understood this prompted the commission to introduce a full ban until the original list of 300 approved farms was forwarded.
It is not clear how long this will take, and it seems a ban will remain in place until it is received.
The IFA has waged a compaign against Brazilian beef since it claims Brazil does not impose the same traceability and health standards on farms as are imposed in the EU.
Concerns have focussed on the spread of foot and mouth disease, although there are queries as to whether this can be carried in frozen beef exports.
