What is chlorinated chicken?
https://www.rspcaassured.org.uk/news/chlorinated-chicken/
We hear a
lot in the news at the moment about chlorinated chicken and the possibility of
it appearing on our supermarket shelves in a potential trade deal with the US.
But what is chlorinated chicken exactly and should we be worried about it?
In the US,
once the chickens have been slaughtered and gutted, they are examined and then
undergo a final chemical washing process to remove any harmful bacteria. This
process can also be known as Pathogen
Reduction
Treatments (PRTs).
Is UK
chicken chlorinated?
No, in the
UK we take a more pro-active approach to food safety which means it is not
necessary to wash our chicken with chlorine. Higher environmental standards
mandated by the EU during the production process eliminate the need to
chemically rinse chicken before we eat it.
Why is
chlorinated chicken Banned in EU?
The problem
the EU has with chlorinated chicken is that antimicrobial treatments can be
used to compensate for poor hygiene along the supply chain, particularly on
farms for example.
Ever since
1997, member states of the EU have refused to accept imports of
chlorine-treated poultry and this has been a point of
contention
with the US. The EU maintains that chemical washes are a form of quick-fix
covering up for lower treatment standards, including lower animal welfare
standards.
What
chicken processing is permitted by EU standards?
Under EU
regulations, processors can only use cold air and water to decontaminate
poultry carcases. The ‘farm to fork’ principle of the EU aims at ensuring
higher hygiene standards across all stages of production, rather than a
particular disinfection method at the end of the process.
How safe is
chlorinated chicken?
Some might
argue that it’s not surprising to hear that US regulators are unequivocal in
their verdict that chlorinated chicken is perfectly safe. They point out that
the EU approves of the same methods to wash fruit and veg.
What is
chlorinated chicken?
What is
chlorinated chicken?
We hear a
lot in the news at the moment about chlorinated chicken and the possibility of
it appearing on our supermarket shelves in a potential trade deal with the US.
But what is chlorinated chicken exactly and should we be worried about it?
In the US,
once the chickens have been slaughtered and gutted, they are examined and then
undergo a final chemical washing process to remove any harmful bacteria. This
process can also be known as Pathogen
Reduction
Treatments (PRTs).
Is UK
chicken chlorinated?
No, in the
UK we take a more pro-active approach to food safety which means it is not
necessary to wash our chicken with chlorine. Higher environmental standards
mandated by the EU during the production process eliminate the need to
chemically rinse chicken before we eat it.
Why is
chlorinated chicken Banned in EU?
The problem
the EU has with chlorinated chicken is that antimicrobial treatments can be
used to compensate for poor hygiene along the supply chain, particularly on
farms for example.
Ever since
1997, member states of the EU have refused to accept imports of
chlorine-treated poultry and this has been a point of
contention
with the US. The EU maintains that chemical washes are a form of quick-fix
covering up for lower treatment standards, including lower animal welfare
standards.
What
chicken processing is permitted by EU standards?
Under EU
regulations, processors can only use cold air and water to decontaminate
poultry carcases. The ‘farm to fork’ principle of the EU aims at ensuring
higher hygiene standards across all stages of production, rather than a
particular disinfection method at the end of the process.
How safe is
chlorinated chicken?
Some might
argue that it’s not surprising to hear that US regulators are unequivocal in
their verdict that chlorinated chicken is perfectly safe. They point out that
the EU approves of the same methods to wash fruit and veg.
In fact,
the European Food Safety Regulator examined the use of chlorine treatment and
were in agreement with the USDA, that “chemical substances in poultry are
unlikely to pose an immediate or acute health risk for consumers.”
But that’s
not really the issue. Chlorine washes and sprays used in the US do help manage
pathogens like salmonella and campylobacter and protect consumers from
infections. But the EU argues that potentially poorer hygiene standards
elsewhere in the process are a health concern and that the chlorine wash could
simply be used as a whitewash, covering up for lower production standards on
the whole.
What does the
UK poultry sector think?
The British
Poultry Council is opposed to the notion of importing American chicken. Chief
executive, Richard Griffiths rejects the idea of
importing
chlorine-washed chickens as part of a trade agreement with the US.
“We are proud
to produce wholesome, nutritious and affordable food for the UK population. We
also know that British consumers trust nothing other than British chicken,” he
says.
“The UK
poultry meat industry stands committed to feeding the nation with nutritious
food and any compromise on standards will not be tolerated. A secure
post-Brexit deal must be about Britain’s future food security and safety. This
is a matter of our reputation on the global stage.”
What is
RSPCA Assured's stance on chlorinated chicken?
We fully
understand why people would be concerned about the idea that chlorinated
chicken could one day find its way onto dinner
tables in
the UK. Chlorine-washed chicken does not pose a health risk in itself, but by
accepting it, along with imported chicken from the US, we could also be
condoning lower farm animal welfare standards in the UK.
Why is
American chicken chlorinated?
“The reason
US farmers [use chlorine washing] is because their animals are raised in such
cramped conditions that the only way to stop them becoming diseased is to dunk
them in chlorine,” he said. “It’s really an animal welfare issue here. If UK
farmers want to compete against American imports they’ll have to lower
standards or go out of business.” - Nick Dearden of Global Justice Now warning
on the implications of the UK doing a trade deal with the US.
RSPCA
Assured believes in maintaining the higher animal welfare standards we’ve importing
chlorine-washed chickens as part of a trade agreement with the US.
“We are
proud to produce wholesome, nutritious and affordable food for the UK
population. We also know that British consumers trust nothing other than
British chicken,” he says.
“The UK
poultry meat industry stands committed to feeding the nation with nutritious
food and any compromise on standards will not be tolerated. A secure
post-Brexit deal must be about Britain’s future food security and safety. This
is a matter of our reputation on the global stage.”
What is
RSPCA Assured's stance on chlorinated chicken?
We fully
understand why people would be concerned about the idea that chlorinated
chicken could one day find its way onto dinner
tables in
the UK. Chlorine-washed chicken does not pose a health risk in itself, but by
accepting it, along with imported chicken from the US, we could also be
condoning lower farm animal welfare standards in the UK.
Why is
American chicken chlorinated?
“The reason
US farmers [use chlorine washing] is because their animals are raised in such
cramped conditions that the only way to stop them becoming diseased is to dunk
them in chlorine,” he said. “It’s really an animal welfare issue here. If UK
farmers want to compete against American imports they’ll have to lower
standards or go out of business.” - Nick Dearden of Global Justice Now warning
on the implications of the UK doing a trade deal with the US.
RSPCA
Assured believes in maintaining the higher animal welfare standards we’ve
established
in the UK. We agree with the EU that the surest way to fight salmonella and
other bacteria in foods is through higher welfare standards maintained from
farm to fork. While we don’t have any chlorinated chicken in the UK at the
moment, the best way to support British farmers, now and in the future, and to
be sure you are buying higher welfare meat, fish and dairy is to look for the
RSPCA Assured logo when you shop.
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