Simply put, it’s chicken that has been treated with chlorine. A study published in the UK in 2014 commissioned by the government estimated that there were about 34,000 cases of salmonella from food per year or about 55 per 100,000 people, based on 2009 data. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. I saw the question and sent an email to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) asking this question. Much of this ties in with issues of animal welfare. Since they don't measure exactly the same thing, it's difficult to compare these results. Get in touch, .css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link{color:inherit;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:focus,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:focus{color:#B80000;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link::after,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited::after{content:'';position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;z-index:2;}Fauci warns of post-Thanksgiving US Covid surge. It may be that a higher proportion of people are infected but only certain groups - the very old and young, for example - will actually end up being diagnosed and treated. You might also have heard concerns about hormones being added to US beef, and US pork containing the drug ractopamine. The ban has stopped virtually all imports of US chicken meat which is generally treated by this process. Chlorinated chicken is poultry meat that has been washed with chlorine. The US has voiced frustration, saying the ban is not based on scientific evidence. Some bacteria will generally be left on the skin of a chicken so the care with which it's handled and cooked at home are extremely important. The European Commission says: "This rule is part of wider EU legislation ensuring a high level of safety throughout the food chain, from farm to fork.". The fear is, a free trade deal between America and Britain may end up with chemically-treated produce on UK supermarket shelves. Animal welfare legislation in the US is not considered as robust as European laws, and the Humane Association of the US says most hens are kept in the kind of battery cages which have not been legal in the EU since 2012. It’s a method that’s also currently banned in the EU. But the EU believes that relying on a chlorine rinse at the end of the meat production process could be a way of compensating for poor hygiene standards - such as dirty or crowded abattoirs. To some, news of the proposed deal signifies the UK bowing to US pressure. By Rachel Schraer & Tom EdgingtonBBC Reality Check. Lots of people also don't go to their doctors with symptoms of food poisoning, so in both the US and the UK only the more severe cases of food poisoning will come to the attention of authorities. A US study published in 2011 - and using data from 2002-2008 - estimated that there were just over a million cases of salmonella each year - a rate of about 350 per 100,000 people. The Telegraph revealed a proposal for a dual-tariff system. A study from the University of Southampton last year found that chlorine could make food-borne pathogens undetectable, giving lower microbial counts in testing, but without actually killing them - so they might remain capable of causing disease. Video, The popstar and the rescue of a lonely elephant, 'I didn’t know other LGBT Muslims existed' Video, 'I didn’t know other LGBT Muslims existed', Diego Maradona: Police raid house and clinic of doctor. It gave data for regions rather than individual countries. Laura Gavin. 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. The purpose of chlorine-washing chicken at the end of the production line is to kill bacteria such as campylobacter, salmonella and E coli, which can cause food poisoning. Boris Johnson promised in his 2019 manifesto “not to compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards” when striking trade deals with the US, post-Brexit. Once a chicken has been killed and prepared, it’s washed in water that contains chlorine or other chemicals; a process called Pathogen Reduction Treatment (PRT). .css-po6dm6-ItalicText{font-style:italic;}Clarification: This piece was amended on 5 April to add more statistics and context. Instead, the EU says the best way to eliminate the risk of salmonella and other bacteria is to maintain high farming and production standards. Read about our approach to external linking. If you’re worried about chlorinated chicken, you should also be worried about the health risks associated with eating meat of any kind. Britain may end up with chemically-treated produce on UK supermarket shelves. Why is chlorinated chicken Banned in EU? Mr Johnson .css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link{color:#3F3F42;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{font-weight:bolder;border-bottom:1px solid #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{border-bottom-color:currentcolor;border-bottom-width:2px;color:#B80000;}@supports (text-underline-offset:0.25em){.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{border-bottom:none;-webkit-text-decoration:underline #BABABA;text-decoration:underline #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-underline-offset:0.25em;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{-webkit-text-decoration-color:currentcolor;text-decoration-color:currentcolor;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-decoration-thickness:2px;color:#B80000;}}urged the UK to embrace US farming methods after Washington published its objectives for a UK-US trade deal. But there are different studies, from the US and the UK, which try to estimate the overall rate of food poisoning and adjust for the levels of underreporting in each health system. It’s simple: take our 30-day vegan pledge and we’ll guide you through the transition to … The evidence suggests the chlorine wash itself is not harmful. Have something to tell us about this article? But this week, a compromise arrived. .css-14iz86j-BoldText{font-weight:bold;}Fears over chlorine-washed chicken and other US farming practices have been described by US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson as "inflammatory and misleading". It’s a method that’s also currently banned in the EU. What do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? .css-8h1dth-Link{font-family:ReithSans,Helvetica,Arial,freesans,sans-serif;font-weight:700;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;}.css-8h1dth-Link:hover,.css-8h1dth-Link:focus{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Read about our approach to external linking. This is to remove harmful bacteria such as salmonella, campylobacter and E.coli, which could make us very ill. It even tried to bring a case before the World Trade Organization in 2008. But the concern is that treating meat with chlorine at the end allows poorer hygiene elsewhere in the production process. Not all food poisoning is from meat, though - although poultry is the most common cause - and not all food poisoning is down to the production process. The underlying issue, however, does raise serious questions about the consumer’s The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System tests samples of raw chicken from shops for bacteria. This is a big part of maintaining public health and safety, after all – a topic all to close to home during a global pandemic. Canada bans mass exports of prescription drugs, Sydney records hottest November night on record, The Crown should carry fiction warning, says culture secretary, Dozens of farm workers killed in 'insane' Nigeria attack, Romain Grosjean: Haas driver suffers burns after huge Bahrain GP crash and fire, Dave Prowse: Darth Vader actor dies aged 85, Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Mekelle hospital struggling after attack - Red Cross, Swiss vote to reject Responsible Business Initiative, exposure to chlorite residues arising from treated poultry carcasses would be of no safety concern, US urges UK to embrace chlorinated chicken. 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