American farmers blast claim US is trying to ‘poison’ Britain with chlorine-washed chicken as former chair of the Food Standards Agency admits the meat is safe
Chuck Fry insisted his meat standards were ‘super high’ as row over poultry standards threaten to overshadow trade talks
AMERICAN farmers hit back in the bitter row over US chicken yesterday – blasting the suggestion they are trying to “poison” Brits.
Dr Bob Young, a chief economist at the US Farm Bureau Federation, said concerns over chlorine rinsed poultry were wide of the mark.
And he stormed: “We’re not going to ask you to eat anything we’re not willing to eat ourselves.
“If somebody thinks that we’re in this to come up with some system to poison the consumer that’s just hogwash and you know that’s hogwash.”
Lord Krebs, the former chairman of the British Food Standards Agency yesterday said nobody was saying US beef or chicken was unsafe.
EU politicians and officials branded Liam Fox “ignorant”.
Gianni Pittella, leader of the socialist group in the European Parliament, said it was another “indigestible gift” froom the Tories and “their Brexit”.
He crowed: “I’m sure British citizens will be enthusiastic to go from the EU high standard control over chicken and food to the chlorinated, full of hormones, US chicken.
“Luckily for British citizens the UK won’t be allowed to strike new free trade agreements as long as the Brexit process has not reached a conclusion.”
A senior EU official added any deal with the US could affect the fragile situation in Ireland and a soft border between the Republic and the North.
“The Irish won’t be happy about chlorinated chicken crossing the border which is said to be northern Irish chicken.
“So there will have to be a border. It has been surprising to see how poor the understanding has been in the UK debate.”
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