Hypocrisy of EU Poultry Cleaning
EU - European poultry producers have been using the same chlorine-based washing process on exported chicken that led to the ban of American sales in the EU for eleven years.
12 May 2008
2 minute read
According to the Financial Times, EU rules say chicken meat for domestic consumption must be cleaned in water of drinking quality, and US poultry meat is washed in a chlorine solution.
Consequently, no genuine US poultry has been eaten in EU states for 11 years.
However, internal documents from the European Commission, seen by the FT, show that chlorine washing is permitted for poultry being exported from the EU.
“The French use [chlorine washing] for exports to Saudi Arabia. This fact has been concealed. Not once has it been mentioned in all the Commission meetings on this subject,” said a senior Commission official pushing to change the rules. “This is all about protecting vested interests.”
