Guardian : is chlorinated chicken about to hit our shelves?

[lottieandmia]

Has anyone seen this?

www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/29/britain-us-trade-deal-gm-food-eu-rules

I'm so worried. Most people just didn't / don't see the far reaching consequences of leaving the EU.

[DebbieDownersGiveItARest]

What a hysterical article. It wonder if the people who live in the US are still real or have they turned into hybrid humans, with odd bulging muscles and clown heads? I was in a macdonalds market survey group a long time ago. I had no qualms letting rip into their foul food, along with a friend. I will never forget executives face. What has macdonalds been doing since? They try and improve the food. If you don't want this food, don't buy it, if you want it labeled complain and ask for labeling. No one can force you to but this food. Personally I only but meat from waitrose. It's the only supermarket that has integrity in the food chain it uses. I don't touch bacon from the eu, the way they treat pigs are Vile and off our own backs in the UK we are working to ban all battery hens. Off our own back we the UK managed to decide to improve pig welfare too. 45 out of 45 farms across the eu failed miserabley on animal welfare and eu standards. I don't want meat from the eu or eggs thanks and I won't be buying it from the states either. It would behove us all actually to be conscientious about where we buy our meat from.

[abbsisspartacus]

Buy British problem solved

[bertsdinner]

If I read that US imported food has low welfare standards, I won't buy it. I also don't buy meat from some EU countries due to poor animal welfare, eg bacon and pork.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

But many people won't realise or care, and cheap imports will negatively impact our own relatively high welfare products.

[DebbieDownersGiveItARest]

Well people in the UK have already cared enough to get battery hens stopping, to have far better pig welfare than the eu.... And even macdonalds wants to create better impression on food. As pp said buy British. Simple.

[Kaija]

Buying British will not necessarily solve the problem, as British standards for producers are likely to be lowered to meet US ones so that they can compete on a level playing field.

I think the growth hormone and antibiotic use is probably more serious than the chlorine wash, but none of it is good.

[Between4and30characters]

Oh my god - will we have to have chlorine in the tap water post-Brexit too???

www.water.org.uk/consumers/water-and-health/faqs#chlorine

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Are people going to buy British when they are all worse off financially, and British goods cost significantly more than the cheaper imports?

Plus, if we want to trade with the US we won't be allowed to put barriers in the way of trade, like different welfare requirements.

[DorkusDelonghi]

It's a disgusting lowering of standards. One thing I like about the uk as opposed to the USA is that the meat isn't full of hormones and antibiotics as it is in the USA.

And the cheap high fructose corn syrup isn't used in every food in the uk. No doubt those things will be coming this way.

[DebbieDownersGiveItARest]

I would either not eat chicken if it's lower welfare. With our history in the food standards I just can't see people buying it. And we have had massive food inflation since the crash, credit crunch.

[DebbieDownersGiveItARest]

The eu is pretty Vile on the food standards too.

[taytopotato]

I recommend people watch Food, inc it's in Netflix. It can give one an insight about the food practices in the USA. I think it's still in netflix

m.youtube.com/watch?v=dbMW2Lf8za4

Be aware of high fructose corn syrup. It's everywhere in the USA.

[boredofbrexit]

may gave reassurance in PMQs today that agriculture standards will be maintained and improved where possible post brexit.

we really can self govern you know.

[Kaija]

"where possible"

[OurBlanche]

Buying British will not necessarily solve the problem, as British standards for producers are likely to be lowered to meet US ones so that they can compete on a level playing field. And the evidence for that is.... ?

Catastrophise if you will, but there is bugger all evidence that this will happen.

[OurBlanche]

where possible could also mean that straight cucumbers (I know that was repealed years ago, but it did exist) and other daft standards can be dropped... where possible

www.express.co.uk/news/world/586742/European-Union-barmy-decisions-rules-regulations-Britain-EU

[Pestilentialone]

Cucumbers have to be straight and must not arch more than 10mm for every 10mm of their length so people can tell how many are in a box.
(The Sun, 4 March 1998, p6)

Bullshit, created by people who can't read very well.

Cucumbers do not have to be straight. There are grading rules, which were called for by representatives from the industry to enable buyers in one country to know what quality and quantity they would get when purchasing a box, unseen, from another country. Nothing is banned under these rules: they simply help to inform traders of particular specifications. The EU Single Market rules are identical to pre-existing standards set down both by the UN/OECD and the UK.

[OurBlanche]

I didn't say they were banned - I used the word "standards" correctly.

Pots ... kettles?

[OurBlanche]

Oh... and the UK reformed that standard back in 2009...

[newmumwithquestions]

British standards for producers are likely to be lowered to meet US ones so that they can compete on a level playing field.
Why? British standards are higher than most EU producers - so the 'playing field' wasn't levelled there.

[DebbieDownersGiveItARest]

I think over all we need to be more aware of where our food comes from, and take more interest in its welfare. As said we do very well on this front already and could certainly do more.

I have just been reading about some nasty South American horse thing - where horses are made pregnant and then have something extracted from them, sold to our vets and farms .

Agree with poster above re level playing field.

[Kaija]

What makes you think British standards are higher than EU standards?

[Kaija]

Regarding likely lowering of standards, from the article linked:
*
"*Martin Haworth, director of strategy at the National Farmers Union (NFU), was up next. Surely our own farmers, who have worked for decades to stricter EU standards shaped by consumers’ demand for safe, natural food, would reiterate their commitment to keeping them? Not a bit of it. Haworth’s only concern was that if such controversial American products were allowed into the country, British farmers should be able to use the same production techniques to ensure “an even playing field”. Do you find it credible that British farmers could beat the US’s vast industrial feedlots, hi-tech poultry plants and vast GM prairies at their own game? No matter, the NFU does.

Later, at prime minister’s questions, the Scottish National party MP Angus Robertson pressed May for the reassurance that everyone who cares about food quality and safety badly wants to hear. Would she tell Trump she wasn’t prepared to lower our food safety standards? Judging from May’s evasive reply – she would improve trade through prosperity, growth, jobs, putting UK interests and values first – it seems entirely possible that she would bin existing food rules in order to clinch a deal."

[OurBlanche]

So no evidence, just a debate about the possibilities.

That is what Article 50 is all about! Discuss, debate, decide!

We don't know anything yet!

[Peregrina]

may gave reassurance in PMQs today that agriculture standards will be maintained and improved where possible post brexit.

On May's present form, I would take that to mean the opposite of what she says.

Why? British standards are higher than most EU producers - so the 'playing field' wasn't levelled there.

So we didn't lose 'sovereignty', and we weren't dictated to by Brussels. Well, who would have thought that?

I will have to go vegetarian and be more successful at growing my own veg.