LONDON — Britain could be forced to accept chlorine-washed chickens as part of its post-Brexit trade deal with the US, under plans being pushed by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.
Chlorinated chicken is currently banned from import under EU rules, along with the use of growth hormones in beef farming, the spraying of pig carcasses with lactic acid and the sale of unlabelled genetically modified food.
Europe has opposed the use of chemical cleaning due both to safety concerns and the fears that they could lead to laxer hygiene practices elsewhere in the supply chain.
However, the dropping of these rules is set to be part of future trade talks between the US and UK. The American Farming Association has previously insisted that Britain must come into line with the US.
Fox is reportedly in favour of dropping the rules despite disagreement with other members of Theresa May's Cabinet, including the Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
Asked at a press conference in Washington today whether he backed the importation of chlorinated chicken, Fox accused journalists of being "obsessed" by the issue, but added that it would bediscussed as "a detail of the very end stage of one sector [of trade talks]."
A spokesperson for the prime minister on Monday also refused to rule out accepting chlorine-soaked chicken as part of any US deal.
"I'm not going to get into hypotheticals," the spokesperson said.
They added: "Our position when it comes to food is that maintaining public confidence in the food we eat is of the highest priority and any future trade deal must work for farmers, businesses and consumers."
Labour accused the government of trading away Britain's food standards.
"This just goes to show that you should never trust a Fox in your hen coop," Barry Gardiner MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, said.
"By arguing the case for chlorine-washed chicken, Liam Fox shows he is ready to abandon British poultry farmers in favour of cheap US imports that do not meet our sanitary or animal welfare standards."
Campaigners against a Hard Brexit today called on Fox to publicly eat a chlorinated chicken.
For legal reasons, we are not threatening to destroy U.S. government property with our glorious medieval siege engine. But if we wanted to, we could. But we won’t. But we could.
LONDON — Britain could be forced to accept chlorine-washed chickens as part of its post-Brexit trade deal with the US, under plans being pushed by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.
Chlorinated chicken is currently banned from import under EU rules, along with the use of growth hormones in beef farming, the spraying of pig carcasses with lactic acid and the sale of unlabelled genetically modified food.
Europe has opposed the use of chemical cleaning due both to safety concerns and the fears that they could lead to laxer hygiene practices elsewhere in the supply chain.
However, the dropping of these rules is set to be part of future trade talks between the US and UK. The American Farming Association has previously insisted that Britain must come into line with the US.
Fox is reportedly in favour of dropping the rules despite disagreement with other members of Theresa May's Cabinet, including the Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
Asked at a press conference in Washington today whether he backed the importation of chlorinated chicken, Fox accused journalists of being "obsessed" by the issue, but added that it would bediscussed as "a detail of the very end stage of one sector [of trade talks]."
A spokesperson for the prime minister on Monday also refused to rule out accepting chlorine-soaked chicken as part of any US deal.
"I'm not going to get into hypotheticals," the spokesperson said.
They added: "Our position when it comes to food is that maintaining public confidence in the food we eat is of the highest priority and any future trade deal must work for farmers, businesses and consumers."
Labour accused the government of trading away Britain's food standards.
"This just goes to show that you should never trust a Fox in your hen coop," Barry Gardiner MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, said.
"By arguing the case for chlorine-washed chicken, Liam Fox shows he is ready to abandon British poultry farmers in favour of cheap US imports that do not meet our sanitary or animal welfare standards."
Campaigners against a Hard Brexit today called on Fox to publicly eat a chlorinated chicken.
I used to work at pools. Minimum legal level of chlorine concentration is 1.0 ppm to keep you safe from bacteria. The town I grew up in routinely tested 1.2 ppm out of the tap. All tap water is chlorinated here, we're all fine, and if you wash chicken now, its getting "chlorine-soaked"
The chlorine is making the chicken safer. Don't like it? Don't buy it. That's the power of a free market
No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session
BjornP wrote:How's that supposedly increased national sovereignty outside the EU working out for ya, Britain?
Shit, thanks for asking. Looks like our farmers will have to compete with the poor standards of the US now.
Fucking glad to be a vegetarian.....
For legal reasons, we are not threatening to destroy U.S. government property with our glorious medieval siege engine. But if we wanted to, we could. But we won’t. But we could.
GrumpyCatFace wrote:Dumb slut partied too hard and woke up in a weird house. Ran out the door, weeping for her failed life choices, concerned townsfolk notes her appearance and alerted the fuzz.
For legal reasons, we are not threatening to destroy U.S. government property with our glorious medieval siege engine. But if we wanted to, we could. But we won’t. But we could.
Montegriffo wrote:Says a supporter of Trump and his tariffs...
not that I've made tariffs a significant part of any reasoning I've done,
but they REALLY hate borders.
GrumpyCatFace wrote:Dumb slut partied too hard and woke up in a weird house. Ran out the door, weeping for her failed life choices, concerned townsfolk notes her appearance and alerted the fuzz.