Irish MEPs joined calls for a Europe-wide ban on Brazilian beef imports amid growing concern about foot-and-mouth disease.
MEPs say UK authorities and the European Commission acted swiftly to control the recent foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey, ensuring a temporary beef ban lasted only a fortnight.
But evidence of lax health and safety measures in Brazil have not prompted a firm EU crackdown despite the presence of the disease there.
The evidence was presented to the European Parliament after an investigation into the state of the Brazilian beef market by the Irish Farmers' Association and the Irish Farmers' Journal.
It found failure to tag or trace animals, failure to administer vaccines, and failure to prevent livestock being taken across regional and national borders.
Today MEPs tabled a written declaration in Strasbourg demanding an immediate ban on all beef and beef products from Brazil.
Today's declaration was led by Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness, Ulster Unionist MEP James Nicholson, SNP MEP Alyn Smith and Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans.
America, Australia, Japan and South Korea already block all Brazilian beef on health grounds, but the EU only has regional bans on beef from three parts of the country. Even the partial ban is being beaten, according to the Irish investigation.