Israel suspends Brazilian chicken imports after veterinary review

Veterinary authority reverses import approval

Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture has suspended imports of chicken meat from Brazil after reviewing the approval process for the country and a Brazilian poultry plant. Acting Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Sergio Dolev reversed the decision of his predecessor, Dr. Tamir Goshen, and removed JBS Ltda Aves from the list of plants authorized to supply Israel.

The ministry said imports could not be approved before inspectors examine the production line in operation and determine whether Brazilian authorities can supervise it according to Israeli requirements. It said the decision reflected public-health and animal-welfare considerations. If Brazil asks to restart the procedure, an Israeli veterinary team is ready to conduct a comprehensive audit in the country.

Davar reported that the European Union also plans to prohibit Brazilian chicken imports from September because of concerns that Brazilian slaughterhouses may not meet Western inspection and sanitation standards. The Israeli ministry’s stated rationale focused on the absence of an operational review of the production route and the supervision of kosher slaughter.

Baladi’s investment and revenue plan at risk

The reversal directly affects Israeli food company Baladi, controlled and led by Erez Dahbani. According to Mako, Baladi invested 21 million shekels in the Brazilian facility and had expected to begin imports in the middle of 2025. The original permit was due to open the market to imports on June 16, Davar reported.

Baladi planned to ship frozen, boneless poultry, mainly schnitzel cuts and boneless thighs. At its 2024 flotation, the company estimated that Brazilian imports could lift annual revenue by 10%-15%. Based on its forecast of revenue reaching 3 billion shekels in coming years, the plant was expected to generate 300-400 million shekels. Baladi also anticipated being the exclusive Brazilian supplier for a period of 5 to 15 years.

After the decision became public, Baladi told investors that it believed the reversal raised substantial legal problems. The company said the previous approval followed an orderly professional process, alleged that it had not been given a hearing and said it would pursue legal remedies. Mako reported that Baladi’s shares had lost 22% over the preceding three months, leaving the company with a market value of 2.1 billion shekels.

Domestic supply, prices and industry opposition

The import plan had faced opposition from Israeli poultry producers, processing-plant workers and other industry participants. Poultry growers petitioned against the ministry and Baladi, while workers represented by Histadrut challenged alleged flaws in the preliminary veterinary examination. The Supreme Court had separately given the Chief Rabbinate 120 days to address approval of Brazilian imports and the related kosher requirements, but veterinary authorization is also necessary.

Israel consumed about 495,000 tonnes of fresh chicken in 2025, or roughly 49 kilograms per person, according to Agriculture Ministry data cited by Davar. The OECD average was 21.9 kilograms. The figures exclude some frozen and processed poultry products.

Chicken prices were already under pressure before the reversal. Statistics cited by Davar put average prices in January-March 2023 at about 37.4 shekels per kilogram for chicken breast, 29 shekels for leg quarters and 21.4 shekels for a whole fresh chicken. Israel’s poultry and egg price index rose about 11.8% between 2023 and 2025. Brazil accounts for 38% of global chicken exports, according to Mako, so continued exclusion of Brazilian supply would leave Israeli importers with fewer sourcing options while protecting local producers from a major low-cost competitor.