Chlorinated chicken and hormone beef still on table says US

Claims by some government ministers that chlorinated chicken and hormone implanted beef will not be allowed into the UK under a future trade deal with the US are “short sighted” and cannot be relied upon, according to US agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue.

The claim was first made by Defra secretary Theresa Villiers in a recent interview with the BBC’s Countryfile programme.

See also: Defra secretary makes pledge on chlorinated chicken

In it she explained there were at present legal barriers to the import of such products and those would stay in place post-Brexit.

“We will not be importing chlorinated chicken. We will not be importing hormone-treated beef,” she said. “Both of those are illegal under EU law, which we are importing into our domestic system.”

But, briefing journalists in Europe this week, Mr Perdue suggested this was jumping the gun.

Asked if Mrs Villiers was right to make such claims he replied: “No, I think it’s very unfortunate and very short-sighted that she would make those kind of declarations. I think we need to trade based on sound science and safety in health and nutrition.”

Standards

Mr Perdue also defended US production methods, both in terms of food safety and environmental impact, saying they met a whole host of international standards which had been agreed with the EU.

“Both the EU, the UK, and the United States benefit when we have free and reciprocal trade, and that’s really what our objective is,” said Mr Perdue.

“It is to come to a conclusion where we can accept one another’s products freely, based on sound scientific standards, rather than inordinate fears.”

Despite this, Conservative party chairman and former Brexit minister James Cleverly insisted that the UK was still prepared to walk away from a trade deal with the US if it contained things the UK did not want.

Speaking on the BBC’s Question Time on Thursday (30 January) he said: “Of course we are not going to have chlorinated chicken.

“The American secretary of state will try and negotiate the best deal he can for the Americans. If there are things we do not want in that deal, we will say no.”

Cliff-edge Brexit

Meanwhile, as the UK prepares to formally leave the EU at 11.00pm on Friday (31 January), Irish farm leaders have warned again about the dangers of a “no-deal” Brexit in 11 months’ time, should the UK government try to deviate from EU standards.

“If the UK want a trade deal with the EU, they will have to toe the line and adhere to EU food standards and requirements,” said Irish Farmers Association president Tim Cullinan

“Already, Boris Johnson has tried to tie his own hands by legislating against an extension to the transition phase. Europe needs to be clear that they won’t be brow beaten by Boris Johnson. the thirty-first of December is a cliff edge for the UK too, so they need to take a more realistic approach”.

Ireland exports cheese worth €450m (£378m) to the UK market, pigmeat products worth €500m and more than €100m worth of mushrooms. This would be in jeopardy of the UK decided to pursue a cheap food policy with US president Donald Trump.

NFU Cymru president John Davies also stressed the need to avoid a no-deal Brexit. 

“It is essential that, whatever agreement the UK government reaches with the EU27, that it delivers the most favourable access possible for Welsh farmers to European markets, with tariff and non-tariff barriers eliminated wherever possible.”