import restrictions on cooked and frozen meat in april 2008 brazil noted its concerns about mexicos restrictions on cooked frozen meat from areas free of foot and mouth disease fmd . according to the oie terrestrial animal health code heat-treatment of meat guaranteed its safety. therefore there was no scientific basis for mexicos decision not to permit meat from brazil. this decision was also not in line with nafta practices since both the united states and canada imported this product from brazil. brazil requested details from mexico on the criteria used for the evaluation of processing facilities. this was not the first time that there had been undue delays in mexicos response to such problems these had previously occurred in the sending of auditing teams to brazil. brazil was concerned with the unpredictable and protectionist practices of mexico. mexico recalled that a bilateral exchange had taken place in august 2007 regarding a memorandum of understanding between sanitary services to cooperate in certain areas and address trade concerns. a monitoring grou had met to discuss bilateral issues and had agreed on the need for a technical subgrou to meet to discuss this issue however the subgrou had not yet met. mexico was now analyzing the detailed information on cooked frozen meat that it had received from brazil and would continue to work with brazil on all bilateral sps issues. in june 2008 brazil reiterated concerns about mexicos requirements on the importation of brazilian cooked and frozen meat. as recognized in article 3.6.2.1. of the oie terrestrial code cooking of meat completely inactivated the fmd virus. in addition mexicos ban on brazilian cooked meat was contrary to the decisions of its nafta partners which imported cooked and frozen meat from brazil. mexico had sent a communication indicating the need to approve meat processing facilities in order to allow exports. brazil had therefore requested further details about the criteria for these evaluations. the approval procedure should be done on a sample basis. furthermore there had been continuous delays by the mexican authorities in sending an inspection grou to conduct on-site visits. brazil urged mexico to apply the sps agreement provisions and oie recommendations and to eliminate its import restrictions as cooked and frozen meat did not pose risks of transmitting the fmd virus. mexico stressed the positive developments in the consultations held with brazil since the issue was first raised. the mexican national service for agro-food health safety and quality senasica-sagarpa had requested more information about the companies that produced food and canned meat foods including their official recognition information about the national programme on toxic residues and information about compliance with specific official requirements in force in mexico. imports could be permitted only after the fulfilment of those requirements. mexico further raised concerns about brazils refusal to import pathogen-free eggs from mexico. this restriction started in 2005 after the outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza in the country. mexico had provided information and requested an on-site evaluation but no response had been provided by the brazilian authorities. brazil contested the linkages between the restrictions on importation of mexican eggs and the recognition of fmd-free zones in brazil. regarding mexicos complaint on the restriction on eggs bilateral technical consultations had been held and brazil was waiting to receive the complementary information that it had requested of mexico. mexico reported that it was carrying out the necessary analysis on recognition of fmd-free areas in brazil but the existent mexican official requirements needed to be complied with. with respect to exports of eggs the information requested by brazil would be provided as soon as possible. in february 2009 brazil recalled that mexico was restricting access of cooked and frozen m