The government is under new pressure to rule out chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected beef in any UK-US trade deal, after it failed to address the issue in parliament.
Seamus Logan, SNP rural affairs spokesperson, submitted a written question to the Defra Secretary asking whether Labour planned to allow US meat imports.
The response did not address the question directly, nor did it reference food safety standards—offering only a general statement on trade objectives.
A follow-up question by Mr Logan, asking if any assessment or analysis had been conducted on the impact such a deal might have on UK agriculture, received the same vague reply.
Currently, UK law prohibits the sale of chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef, which are permitted in the United States.
There are growing concerns that these standards could be weakened in future trade agreements, particularly in light of the UK’s post-Brexit realignment.
US President Donald Trump has previously insisted that any trade deal with the UK must allow for the import of these products.
Mr Logan, who is also MP for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, said the government’s lack of clarity was concerning.
He called for Defra Secretary Steve Reed to confirm the UK’s commitment to maintaining its high food safety regulations.
Mr Logan also expressed dismay that the government could not even confirm whether it had examined the possible consequences of a deal with the US for British farmers.
He warned that accepting such products into the market could damage Scotland’s food producers, lower food standards and pose a threat to farming and crofting livelihoods.
"Scotland’s food sector is a huge success in Scotland's economy; so the government should firmly take the threat of chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-injected beef off the table," Mr Logan said.
"The government must commit unequivocally in its trade talks to maintaining the high standards in place and reject granting harmful concessions, including over hormone-treated beef.”
He stressed that the government must remove any ambiguity by making a firm commitment to uphold current food standards and rule out the import of chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-injected beef.
Failure to do so, the MP said, would risk undermining consumer confidence and the international reputation of Scottish produce.
“A post-Brexit trade deal with Donald Trump would be a huge threat to Scotland's food safety and economy,” Mr Logan warned.
