Brazil Requests WTO Consultations Over EU's Salmonella Food Safety Criteria for Poultry Meat, Preparations

Brazil requested a World Trade Organization dispute resolution with the European Union over the EU's measures on certain poultry meat preparations from Brazil, the WTO said. In the request circulated to the WTO Nov. 11, Brazil said that the EU's application of its salmonella food safety criteria on fresh poultry meat and certain poultry meat preparations violates the WTO's Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994. Brazil is taking issue with how the EU's salmonella food safety criteria are less strict for fresh poultry meat than for certain poultry meat preparations. Due to a 2011 regulation, fresh poultry meat imports can be placed on the market unless two specific serotypes of salmonella are detected. Poultry meat preparations, on the other hand, must be pulled from the market if any salmonella serotypes are detected.