Chicken Export Access Critical in UK Deal, House Members Say
Forty-six House Republicans, led by Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., told the U.S. trade representative in a letter March 10 that he must get the United Kingdom to agree to import chicken with chlorine or other antimicrobial washes.
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“We are in a position to negotiate an agreement with the U.K. that resolves this unscientific ban once and for all,” they wrote. “U.S.-produced poultry is safe, and inspections throughout the entire poultry production process ensure consumer safety. Antimicrobial spray washes are used in the production process to improve food safety. All rinses, including chlorine, must be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and their use is limited to specific amounts. This is just one step in the process -- the USDA also inspects all poultry produced in the U.S. Additionally, only an estimated 10% of the processing plants in the U.S. use chlorine throughout production. Scientific research, including that of the European Food Safety Authority, confirms using chlorine-washed poultry does not pose any human health concerns, nor is it present in the final product.”
In a press release announcing the letter, National Chicken Council President Mike Brown said, “With almost one in five pounds of chicken being exported, a robust and expanding overseas market is extremely important to the economic health and well-being of the U.S. chicken industry.”
In its negotiating objectives, the United Kingdom wrote that it “will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards” (see 2003020061).