The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has said an investigation carried out by the Irish Farmers Journal (IFJ) in Brazil undermines arguments by the European Commission that the EU-Mercosur trade deal should be approved.
The IFJ investigation claims to have been able to buy animal antibiotics in Brazil without prescriptions and hormones which are banned in the EU.
The Commission is pushing for the ratification of the agreement, which would create the world's biggest free-trade zone and significantly increase EU exports to Mercosur countries - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Mercosur countries would be able to export up to 99,000 tonnes of beef into the EU at a much-reduced tariff rate of 7.5%, as well as 180,000 tonnes of poultry.
A number of EU member states, notably Ireland and France, are opposed to its ratification, citing the potential to massively distort key agricultural markets.
In its report, the IFJ claims its Beef Editor Adam Woods - who recently travelled to Brazil - was able to complete wholesale purchases of animal antibiotics without prescriptions, and that hormones given to animals that are banned in the EU were freely available to buy.
The publication said it recorded undercover video footage to document the purchases.
The IFA confirmed its Senior Policy Officer Tomás Bourke accompanied Mr Woods and the photo editor of the IFJ on the trip.
According to the farming organisation, "the team were able to walk into over a dozen agri-stores in Brazil and buy any amount of antibiotics without showing any prescription, ID or herd number and were not asked any questions whatsoever about why they needed the products".
IFA President Francie Gorman said that "having viewed the findings ... the EU Commission cannot stand over what is going on in Brazil from the viewpoint of the use of animal medicines and the lack of traceability".
Mr Gorman said: "This flies in the face of all EU protocols in the fight against anti-microbial resistance (AMR) in humans."
Mr Gorman also called for the Mercosur deal "to be stopped".
He added: "It completely undermines arguments by the EU Commission that the Mercosur trade deal should be approved because there will be an equivalence of standards between the Mercosur countries and the EU."
In September, the European Commission said the same food safety and animal health standards that apply to EU farmers will also apply to South American producers, who will be subject to the same licensing requirements and audits.
At the time, the Commission also said it would be stepping up import controls by increasing the number of audits and checks in third countries.
