Britain’s Trade Secretary has refused to rule out post-Brexit imports of cheap American chicken which has been rinsed in chemicals.
Amid heightened concerns over both food safety and animal welfare after the UK leaves the EU, Liam Fox dismissed fears over chlorine-washed poultry as a media “obsessions”.
Scottish farmers have become increasingly concerned over talk of free trade deals with the United States including low-cost meat, such as hormone-treated beef.
As revealed in The Herald’s Beyond Brexit series, food industry leaders believe Scotland, which produces high-quality produce to European standards, would struggle to compete on price with American chicken and beef.
Dr Fox, however, on Monday said decisions on whether to allow chlorine-washed chicken to be sold to British consumers would be taken at the “very end stage” of a potential US-UK free trade deal.
The Scot - an ardent Brexiteer - was in Washington for talks on a trade deal with Donald Trump’s administration Conservatives hope to see after Brexit.
Asked if he would feel comfortable eating a chlorine-washed chicken, Dr Fox said: “In a debate which should be about how we make our contribution to global liberalisation and the increased prosperity of both the UK, the US and our trading partners, the complexities of those - the continuity agreements, the short-term gains that we may make, the opportunities we have and our ability to work jointly towards both a free-trade agreement and WTO liberalisation - the British media are obsessed with chlorine-washed chickens, a detail of the very end stage of one sector of a potential free trade agreement.
“I say no more than that.”
Labour seized on his remarks. Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, a leading supporter of the Open Britain campaign, said: “The Government is putting the Fox in charge of the hen coop when it comes to food safety.
“This row about chlorine chicken is a direct result of the Government’s decision to leave the single market.
“They are so desperate for new trade deals to make up for some of the losses that they seem ready to compromise on the safety of the food we eat.”
EU farmers, including Scots, seek to ensure hygiene throughout the production process “from farm to fork”, rather than rely on dousing meat with chlorine to try and clean it quickly before sale.
Theresa May’s official spokesman said it was too early to discuss specific details of any trade deal, such as the issue of chlorinated chicken.
He said: “Our position when it comes to food is that maintaining the safety and public confidence in the food we eat is of the highest priority Any future trade deal must work for UK farmers, businesses and consumers.”
The row came as the House of Lords EU Committee warned post-Brexit deals could result in a “race to the bottom” on animal welfare as British producers are forced to cut costs.
Peers also stressed Britain had an “overwhelming reliance” on EU citizens in crucial veterinary positions ensuring meat and farm safety standards.
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