Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Olivér Várhelyi has denied awareness of a specific shipment of salmonella-contaminated Brazilian chicken that MEPs said was imported into Greece under the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, while defending the multi-layered EU import control system as sufficient to protect consumers and farmers. In a written answer on 22 July 2026 to a question from ECR MEPs Jessika van Leeuwen and Sander Smit and PPE MEP Céline Imart, Várhelyi stated that no notifications had been made by Greece to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) in 2026 regarding salmonella in Brazilian poultry, contradicting the MEPs' claim that a three-tonne consignment was found 80% contaminated and returned.
The question, raised in the context of the recently entered-into-force EU-Mercosur trade agreement, pointed to earlier warnings in the ENVI and INTA committees about inadequate controls in Brazil and alleged Commission promises to tighten oversight. Várhelyi did not address those promises directly but outlined the existing control architecture: imported poultry must meet microbiological criteria under Regulation (EU) 2073/2005; Member States conduct border checks and notify non-compliances via RASFF; the Commission audits third-country control systems; and risk-based physical checks at EU border posts are mandatory. He noted that where specific risks are identified, additional measures such as intensified official controls or increased physical check frequencies can be adopted, and if necessary, import restrictions may be imposed under Regulation (EU) 2017/625.
The answer offers no new concrete measures beyond existing legal instruments, leaving the MEPs' demands for guarantees on Brazilian poultry compliance and for prevention of future contamination unaddressed. The Commission's position signals confidence in the current system, despite years of reported salmonella problems in Brazilian meat. The response may fuel further scrutiny from the European Parliament, particularly from the ECR and PPE groups, who have questioned whether the Mercosur deal's safeguards are adequate to protect European consumers and the competitive position of EU poultry farmers.