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UK-US trade deal: Envoy attacks 'myths' about US farming
BBC News ^ | 2nd March | BBC News

Posted on 03/04/2019 3:59:37 PM PST by Ennis85

Fears over chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-fed beef are "myths", according to the US ambassador to the UK.

In the Daily Telegraph, Woody Johnson urged the UK to embrace US farming methods after Washington published its objectives for a UK-US trade deal.

EU rules currently limit US exports of certain food products, including chicken and beef - but Mr Johnson wants that to change in the UK after Brexit.

Downing Street has repeatedly denied it will accept lower food standards.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: "We have always been very clear that we will not lower our food standards as part of a future trading agreement."

Mr Johnson, however, described warnings over US farming practices as "inflammatory and misleading" smears from "people with their own protectionist agenda".

He also said the EU's "Museum of Agriculture" approach was not sustainable, adding: "American farmers are making a vital contribution to the rest of the world. Their efforts deserve to be recognised.

"Instead, they are being dismissed with misleading scare-stories which only tell you half the story."

On chlorine-washed chicken, Mr Johnson said the process was the same as that used by EU farmers to treat their fruit and vegetables.

Describing it as a "public safety no-brainer", he insisted it was the most effective and economical way of dealing with "potentially lethal" bacteria such as salmonella and campylobacter.

'Welfare standards'

President of the UK's National Farmer's Union (NFU) Minette Batters said that while Mr Johnson was correct in saying chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-fed beef was "safe" to eat, there were other factors that needed considering.

"The difference is welfare standards and environmental protection standards," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Our consumer has demanded high standards of animal welfare, we've risen to that challenge - he's right to make the point that food security

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: agriculture; brexit; chlorine; farming; theresamay; trade; unitedkingdom; woodyjohnson

1 posted on 03/04/2019 3:59:37 PM PST by Ennis85
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To: Ennis85

Well, OK then. If you believe that, don’t purchase the products. :)


2 posted on 03/04/2019 4:20:45 PM PST by ataDude (.)
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To: Ennis85

I need to start keeping notes. So for the liberals - artificial hormones for cows are bad. And artificial hormones for kids are good. Got it.


3 posted on 03/04/2019 4:24:14 PM PST by 21twelve (!)
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To: Ennis85

Whiney limeys...


4 posted on 03/04/2019 4:24:39 PM PST by rrrod (just an old guy with a gun in his pocket)
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To: Ennis85

there is a simple solution to this...

every bottle of Scotch whiskey needs
to be tested for mad-cow-disease


5 posted on 03/04/2019 5:03:30 PM PST by RockyTx
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To: Ennis85

EU protectionism that the UK will be well rid of. It also includes the GMO scare tactics.


6 posted on 03/04/2019 5:33:05 PM PST by jdsteel (Americans are Dreamers too!!!)
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To: jdsteel

Nothing would save UK anymore Brexit or not. Just compare once mighty Sterling to most of EM currencies. It does worse economically than developing countries right now. A third world country in a making.
It doesn’t change the fact than cheaper US food is unfit for human consumption.


7 posted on 03/04/2019 6:15:37 PM PST by NorseViking
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To: NorseViking

It doesn’t change the fact than cheaper US food is unfit for human consumption.


I was with you until that. If everything else you post is so ridiculous, you might have issues.


8 posted on 03/04/2019 6:26:12 PM PST by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.)
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To: sparklite2

Why do you think poorer people are so unhealthy?


9 posted on 03/04/2019 6:58:18 PM PST by NorseViking
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To: NorseViking

You really got me laughing out loud, which I appreciate.

Calling American exported food unfit for human consumption has got nothing to do with poor people’s health. But I’m sure you have extensive experience comparing export food to domestic food, so please have the last word on the matter.


10 posted on 03/04/2019 7:19:33 PM PST by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.)
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To: sparklite2

I don’t have issues with chlorine-washed chicken although it might be dangerous if done wrong. ‘Animal welfare’ standard which aren’t regulating religious slaughter there the real torture is are a joke too. That being said excessive use of hormones to grow livestock and all the chemical preservatives in processed food are just wrong.


11 posted on 03/04/2019 7:54:43 PM PST by NorseViking
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To: NorseViking

Yeah, let’s talk about that EU food. Thanks to EU rules very little isn’t the way of fertilizer or pesticides are used, but ANY fruits or vegetables with even a small blemish must be destroyed. Yes, destroyed. They can’t compete with US agriculture so they badmouth it and restrict it.

I’ve eaten food in Europe and in the US. Your statement is ridiculous. A good piece of beef is as hard to find as full employment over there.


12 posted on 03/05/2019 6:10:32 AM PST by jdsteel (Americans are Dreamers too!!!)
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To: jdsteel

Lived in Europe for 7 years. Agree with you.

Not only is a good steak hard to find, it costs a fortune.

I used to bbq and cook outside all Summer in Germany. My neighbors were always welcome. They were continuously amazed at all the GREAT American meat (we have several large commissaries in the Kaiserslautern area).

T-bones, porterhouse, filet mignon, New York strip, tip roast, rib roast, Boston butt, brisket, hams, shoulders and chops of all kinds, chicken wings and breasts...

Of course, being a great chef helped! ;->

All I ever asked was for them to bring the fine German beer and wines and fresh veggies from the garden!


13 posted on 03/05/2019 6:31:36 AM PST by Alas Babylon! (The media is after us. Trump's just in the way.)
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To: Alas Babylon!

And a little more than three months I’ll be sampling some of that fine German beer and wine myself. And it will be in time for the white asparagus season too!


14 posted on 03/05/2019 10:15:10 AM PST by jdsteel (Americans are Dreamers too!!!)
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To: jdsteel

Meir gefalt etwas Weiss spargel!!!!


15 posted on 03/05/2019 3:18:14 PM PST by Alas Babylon! (The media is after us. Trump's just in the way.)
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To: jdsteel

The GM bit is from the UK. And the British public want these rules.


16 posted on 03/21/2019 5:12:58 PM PDT by Cronos (Obama's dislike of Assad is not based on his brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: xcct838

And this


17 posted on 03/21/2019 5:13:55 PM PDT by Cronos (Obama's dislike of Assad is not based on his brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: Cronos

The GMO bit is from Brussels. The British public don’t know enough about how they’ve been hoodwinked...but they are fed up with Brussels. Baby steps.


18 posted on 03/21/2019 5:46:35 PM PDT by jdsteel (Americans are Dreamers too!!!)
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To: jdsteel

They were proposed and supported by the UK.


19 posted on 03/21/2019 6:10:12 PM PDT by Cronos (Obama's dislike of Assad is not based on his brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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