The UK deserves better than US chlorinated chicken

Sir, Chlorinated chicken has re-emerged as a point of contention and British producers are rightly up in arms about the drastic difference in standards of production between the UK and US.

Our standards are superior and doing our best at each point in the chain, rather than cleaning up at the end, is a point of pride, but we also need to look at what our food gives to this country. Food that’s affordable and available, that creates jobs and builds communities, and that drives a healthy economy.

We should back British food because we trust it, share the values that produce it, and know we can rely on it to feed us. Our society deserves more than someone else’s standards, and we must have enough respect in ourselves to demand better.

Richard Griffiths, chief executive, British Poultry Council