UK told to get over fears of chlorine chicken. Sustain responds

Sustain demands high food standards in trade deals, as a US official dismisses fears about chlorine-washed chicken as a ‘myth’, saying the US is increasingly using acid washes instead. The US agriculture representative went on to claim that American food safety standards are “more advanced and more modern” than EU ones, which he derided as ‘old-fashioned’.

Photograph: Sustain & Pexels

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Speaking at a convention in Chicago, Ken Isley of the US Department of Agriculture was quoted by the Independent newspaper as saying: “I think the concerns and fear are unfounded. I would stack US food safety and our food safety record against anywhere in the world.

“Chlorinated chicken is an example. That practice and processing is very, very limited in the US now and is being phased out, not for food safety reasons, but because newer technologies become available.” When asked which technologies he responded "There’s acetic acid, is one of them."

Last week, UK International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox claimed that objections to chlorine-washed chicken were not based on food safety concerns. He seemed to be unaware of Sustain analysis suggesting higher rates of food poisoning deaths in the US and a study from Southampton showing chlorine washes may not kill harmful pathogens, and may simply disguise their presence.

Kath Dalmeny, Chief Executive of Sustain, the food and farming alliance, said:

“The US has made it abundantly clear that if the UK wants to do a trade deal with them we will have to lower our food standards. That would mean UK consumers being forced to accept things like hormone beef, pesticides currently banned in the UK, the removal of E number additive labelling and overuse of farm antibiotics. But research from Which? shows UK consumers have already made it clear they do not want to lower their food standards in exchange for a US trade deal. We want a say in future trade deals so we don’t prop up poor farming systems with poor health, hygiene and animal welfare standards.”

You can read the full piece in the Independent here

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