Liam Fox refuses to rule out chlorinated chicken imports but vows not to reduce UK environmental standards

Mr Fox’s comments contradict those made by Michael Gove who said that chlorine-washed chicken would be a red line in trade negotiations with the US

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said the UK would not lower environmental or consumer standards as part of a trade deal with the US but refused to rule out allowing chlorine-washed chickens into the UK.

“We have no intentions of reducing our standards,” Mr Fox said, in an interview with BBC Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis on Tuesday.

But when pressed on the specific matter of chlorine-washed chickens, which are allowed under US law but banned in the EU, the International Trade Secretary said that, “there is no health issue with that”.

“The European Union has said that it is perfectly safe. The issue lies around some of the secondary issues of animal welfare”.

Critics of the practice say that it allows farms to have lower hygiene and welfare standards because the rely on bathing the meat in bacteria-killing chlorine solution before it is packaged.

The US allows several practices which aren’t permitted under EU law, such as treating cows with man-made growth hormones and washing animal carcases with lactic acid and other substances to kill pathogens.

Mr Fox said: “I can rule out that we will be dropping our standards on consumer protection or environmental protection or on animal welfare.

“These are all perfectly reasonable things for people to look at.

“In terms of where we will be on specifics, by the time we finish a free trade agreement, which could be two or three years by the time it’s concluded and implemented depending on what happens with our relationship with the EU, it’s too early to say.

“But you can say on a general principle that we are not going to be the low-regulation alternative that some people have suggested.”

The comments come after Mr Fox re-ignited a long-running debate over animal welfare standards, during a visit to Washington on Monday.

The minister said that washing chickens with chlorine was a “detail” that would form one part at the end of complex trade deal. He said the media was “obsessed” with the issue.

Mr Fox’s comments are at odds with those made by Michael Gove on Wednesday. Asked on the Today programme if the UK would be willing to accept chlorine-soaked chicken, the Environment Secretary replied: “No, I made it perfectly clear, and this is something that all members of the government are agreed, that we are not going to dilute our high animal welfare standards or our high environmental standards in pursuit of any trade deal.”

Asked if it would be a red line in negotiations with the US, he replied “yes,” before adding: “We need to ensure that we do not compromise those standards.

“We need to be in a position when we leave the European Union to be a leader on animal welfare standards.”