Brazil said it was considering its response after the European Union halted imports of some animal products that include beef and poultry from the country, citing food-safety concerns.

Brussels on Thursday extended rules banning the use of antimicrobials in animal products to goods imported to the bloc. EU countries voted in May to revise a list of countries authorized to export certain animal products to the EU, and Brazil wasn't included.

"The Brazilian Government expresses its deep concern regarding the start today of the implementation of restrictions imposed by the European Union on the entry of animal protein products originating from Brazil," Brazil's ministry of agriculture and livestock said in a statement on Thursday.

The ministry said it "implemented the necessary measures to meet the applicable requirements and presented the relevant documentation and information to the European authorities regarding products destined for export." A European Commission spokesperson said Tuesday that the EU has not received guarantees of compliance but noted that an audit in Brazil on its poultry and honey sectors is expected to be concluded this week.

Agricultural imports were a bone of contention for some EU member states during negotiations for the Mercosur agreement, a long-debated trade deal between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

For example, the agreement introduced an annual quota of 99,000 metric tons for beef shipments from South American countries with a 7.5% duty. Countries such as France and Poland had opposed the accord over concerns it could ultimately put European farmers at a disadvantage.

Brazil's agricultural ministry said Brussels's move this week excluding its animal products from the bloc essentially negates many of the gains that had been achieved during negotiations for the Mercosur deal.

"Should the negotiations not lead to a satisfactory solution in a timely manner, the Brazilian Government reserves the right to resort to the appropriate instruments to ensure balanced trading conditions," the ministry said.

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said Friday that the bloc had a longstanding commitment to tackling antimicrobial resistance.

"Our rules on antimicrobial resistance apply equally and without discrimination to all European producers and to all producers who wish to sell their products on our single market," he said.

He added that the EU would continue to work closely with Brazilian authorities.