According the WTO, Brazil claims the EU's application of Salmonella food safety criteria on fresh poultry meat and certain poultry meat preparations are inconsistent with provisions under the WTO's Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry said there is no technical or scientific evidence to justify the application of stricter microbiological criteria for the detection of salmonella in salted chicken meat and turkey with pepper, in comparison to fresh poultry meat.

"By imposing discriminatory criteria, the European Union acts in violation of the rules of the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the WTO and creates unjustified barriers to international trade," said the Ministry.

The request for consultations is the first formal step in a dispute at the WTO. The Brazilian Government expects that the consultations with the European Union will contribute to an amicable settlement.

The request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the WTO. Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation. After 60 days, if consultations have failed to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.