Asda withdraw Brazilian beef in response to NFU concerns

Supermarket giant ASDA has agreed to take a line of Brazilian beef off its shelves in response to pressure from the NFU.

The beef in question was not produced in accordance with British farm assurance standards and was not fully traceable.

In a statement yesterday, NFU Deputy President Meurig Raymond had asked ASDA to withdraw the beef immediately, as stocking it represented a breach of the commitment that ASDA had given that it would only sell imported beef that had been produced in compliance with British standards of farm assurance and traceability.

In response ASDA acknowledged the supplier did not have all the necessary assurance accreditations in place and issued a statement: "The decision to remove Brazilian beef from sale was made today, partly as a result of talks with the NFU and the concerns it raised."

Mr Raymond said: "This was a clear breach of ASDA's commitment to British farming and we are pleased that it has been put right.

"However I will still be meeting the company on Monday and will still be looking for answers as to why this happened.

"We must have responsible action if we are to achieve a credible red meat supply chain where all parties have the trust and confidence to work together."

"We remain deeply concerned about ASDA's milk pricing policy and the impacts that it is having on the dairy sector."