Farage accused of ‘utter ignorance’ on chlorinated chicken

Nigel Farage has sparked outrage after suggesting that chlorine-treated chicken could be imported into the UK as part of a potential trade deal with the United States.

The Reform UK leader’s remarks, made on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, sparked a widespread backlash, with Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael accusing him of “utter ignorance” about the realities of British farming.

Mr Farage, a strong proponent of a US-UK trade deal, said he would support the inclusion of US agricultural products, including chlorine-treated chicken, in the UK market, provided there was proper labelling.

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He argued that with correct labelling, consumers should be allowed to decide whether to buy such products. However, his suggestion ignited fierce opposition from farming groups and consumers, who are overwhelmingly against chlorine-washed chicken entering UK supermarkets.

A 2020 poll revealed that 80% of the British public opposed the importation of chlorine-treated chicken, with similar disapproval for hormone-treated beef, both of which are illegal to produce in the UK.

Responding to Mr Farage’s stance, Mr Carmichael, who is also chairman of the influential cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) committee, said: “This is typical of Farage the plastic patriot: undermining British farmers for the benefit of his boss, Donald Trump.”

UK high standards

Mr Carmichael emphasised the high standards British farmers maintained, and expressed concerns that allowing such imports would harm both the reputation of UK farming and consumer confidence.

He accused Mr Farage of using farmers as political pawns in the pursuit of a deal that would “sell them out at the first opportunity”.

The row comes as the UK government is reportedly in talks to finalise a deal with the US, aiming to avoid further tariffs on steel and aluminium.

However, the potential for chlorine-treated chicken and hormone-treated beef to enter UK markets remains a point of contention.

Environmental and farming groups including the NFU continue to voice their opposition, warning that a poor trade deal with the US could seriously undermine Britain’s food safety standards and agriculture industry.