EU welcomes return of beef from Chile
"EU beef importers were impatient to resume the trade, so we welcome resumption of the certification for Chilean beef exports," Jean-Luc Mériaux, secretary general of the European Livestock and Meat Trading Union (UECBV) told Globalmeatnews.
Chile suspended fresh beef exports to the EU on 27 March after a scheduled European Commission Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) inspection there.
The FVO (report DG(SANCO) 2013-6865 - MR FINAL) highlighted several issues, including deficiencies in control procedures and enforcement and evidence of cattle having received phenylbutazone, aka ‘bute’, while treatment of EU eligible bovine animals did ‘not seem to be considered a risk factor for targeting sampling’ for bute.
Other issues raised by the FVO included: implementation of the system to approve establishments showed ‘weaknesses’; ‘the ability of the competent authorities to keep under constant review approvals of establishments listed for export to the EU’ was questionable; documented control procedures were not being carried out in a way that ensured that EU requirements were consistently met; and the traceability system in a bovine slaughterhouse did not ensure that only EU eligible carcasses could be exported.
Among FVO’s recommendations were that Chile should improve official controls carried out at establishment level, drug withdrawal periods should be sufficiently long to guarantee the absence of detectable residues in meat; and that testing for residues of such substances (eg, phenylbutazone) should be included in the scope of Chile’s residue monitoring plan.
Chile responded in June with a list of actions that it had or was taking. A small number of Chilean farms were approved to export fresh beef to the EU, but more could soon be added.
"I understand that the current list is a first step and will be progressively increased," Mériaux said. "For instance, cattle holdings in the Southern regions of Chile will soon be audited and added to the list when they comply with the requirements."
Mériaux expected Chile would honour its pledge to provide information to comply with provisions of the EU High Quality Beef quota. "Chile has a great reputation for efficiency," he said.
