Allister opposes Commission attempt to allow imports of bleach-washed chicken
18 February 2009
Under proposed amendments to Regulation (EC) 1234/2007 the EU Commission is trying to bend to pressure from the USA to permit imports into the EU of poultry meat washed in chlorine.
In the USA a key part of the process of preparing poultry meat for sale is a surface wash with chlorine, or bleach, as a de-contaminant. In the EU such is prohibited, but instead the entire operation, through rearing to processing, is so regulated as to guarantee safe food. The food safety record in the EU shows the measures in place work. Hence, the opposition to unnecessary bleach-washing.
When the Commission's amendments came before the Agriculture Committee in Brussels, Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister, spoke out strongly against any relaxation in our import rules.
In the course of his remarks Mr Allister said:-
"Our present legislation works. It requires reduction and removal of contamination by an all-embracing methodology encompassing the whole food chain. This has been done by measures which impose cost on both producers and processors, but the prize has been our high reputation for the safety of our food.
Now, the Commission wants to open up the EU to imports where the whole food chain treatment process is circumvented by a one-off end of chain surface decontamination treatment with bleach, which is less efficient and proficient. I am utterly opposed to this reduction in standards and, therefore, support the European Parliament's previous rejection of this proposal in June 2008.
I also strongly support adequate labelling to indicate the true origin of all imports, which should, I believe, include the date of slaughter. Likewise, we need a definition which properly reflects what is fresh, with nothing beyond refrigeration allowed to qualify. Produce which has been blast-frozen, then defrosted on importation, is being passed off as fresh, when it is anything but. This loophole must be closed."
