17 April 2026: Amendment to supplementary guarantee ‘H’ in the fresh meat of ungulates list to facilitate correct certification of Brazilian beef
Updated 17 April 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-veterinary-surgeon-ovs-notes/17-april-2026-amendment-to-supplementary-guarantee-h-in-the-fresh-meat-of-ungulates-list-to-facilitate-correct-certification-of-brazilian-beef
OVS note number: 2026/23
Date: 17 April 2026
Purpose
To inform port health authorities (PHAs) that the wording of supplementary guarantee ‘H’ in the fresh meat of ungulates list has been updated to facilitate the correct certification of attestation AH/E002 in the fresh bovine meat certificate for the following Brazilian states approved for beef exports to Great Britain: Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná and São Paulo.
Background
Brazil has made foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccination illegal nationwide, with the last vaccination occurring in April 2024 and all remaining vaccine stocks having been destroyed under official control. This formed part of Brazil’s efforts to gain whole-country FMD-free status without vaccination, which was recognised by WOAH in May 2025.
As a result, all Brazilian states currently approved to export beef to Great Britain have now ceased FMD vaccination. These states need to certify, for exports of beef to Great Britain, that no FMD vaccination has taken place on the holding of origin by retaining the reference to FMD in the square brackets in attestation AH/E002 in the fresh bovine meat certificate.
To facilitate the correct certification of this attestation, which previously was only permitted for the state of Santa Catarina, supplementary guarantee ‘H’ in the ‘fresh meat of ungulates’ list has been amended to include the additional states that have ceased FMD vaccination.
Supplementary guarantee ‘H’ has been amended as follows:
Supplementary guarantees required for Brazil concerning animal contacts, vaccination programmes and surveillance. However, as the States of Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná and São Paulo in Brazil do not vaccinate against foot and mouth disease, the reference to a vaccination programme is not applicable for meat coming from animals originating and slaughtered in these states.
This allows all states approved for export of beef to GB to retain the reference to FMD in square brackets in attestation AH/E002, rather than deleting it.
This change to supplementary guarantee ‘H’ does not impact the certification of other attestations in the fresh bovine meat certificate linked to supplementary guarantee ‘H’ (namely AH/T104D and AH/A603).
The Brazilian competent authority has been informed of the amendment to supplementary guarantee ‘H’.
Contact point for enquiries
Email: imports@apha.gov.uk
Imports and EU Trade Team