Amidst the anti-Trump protests last week were several people dressed as chickens. These demonstrators were raising the alarm about a post-Brexit trade deal with the US meaning chlorine-washed chicken entering our supermarkets.
InFacts has previously explained why going it alone after Brexit would see us bullied into unappetising trade deals with bigger economic powers. But what is it about EU membership that protects us from poor-quality food in the shops?
The EU’s General Food Law Regulation creates a farm-to-fork approach that covers all sectors of the food chain. It aims for a high level of protection of human life, health and the protection of consumers’ interests, as well as the protection of animal health and welfare, plant health and the environment. It also sets up an independent agency to provide scientific advice and support, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Crucially, the regulation also means food imported from outside the EU must comply with EU standards – including everything from clear labelling to food hygiene.
But once we leave the EU, its treaties will cease to apply to the UK and we will lose the protections of EU membership. UK politicians will be able to roll back standards if, for example, it helps them sign a shiny new trade deal with the Americans.
Chlorinated chicken was banned in Europe in 1997. It was not the consumption of chlorine itself that was the issue, rather that it could lead to poor hygiene standards during the production process. EU rules ensure a high level of safety throughout the food chain rather than just a quick chemical wash at the end of the process.
Channel 4’s Dispatches ‘The Truth about Chlorinated Chicken’ revealed shocking conditions in the US food production process. These would be unacceptable under EU rules – which the UK has a hand in forming. It even revealed that some bacteria on the meat simply goes dormant and isn’t killed by the chlorination.
In a no-deal Brexit, importing chlorinated chicken becomes both possible and more likely. Unfortunately, the prospect of no deal is higher than it has been for a while, with the Tory leadership contest being led by hard Brexiters. Those same Brexiters are keen for a quick deal with their friend President Trump and that would almost certainly require lowering food standards – Wilbur Ross, the US commerce secretary, said as much in 2017.
None of this was talked about in 2016. The UK public weren’t asked if they wanted chlorine chicken on their plates. Now we know more about the consequences of Brexit, the people deserve the final say on whether we’re force fed this grim future. And if they don’t, they’ve got every right to tell pro-Brexit politicians to cluck off.