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Thread: We shouldn't be surprised the US Ambassador @woodyjohnson4 wants the UK to embrace chlorine washed chicken as part of a post Brexit FTA but we should tell him where he can stick it. Because, contrary to what he says, it's risky stuff. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-474261… 1/
A Southampton Uni study that I reported on last year found that chlorine washing doesn't kill pathogens; it just makes then non-culturable. The study was on salad vegetables but the lead scientist made clear to me that it applied to chicken as well theguardian.com/world/2018/may… 2/
In which case why doesn't the US have enormous numbers of people dropping dead from food poisoning? Answer: they do. 380 people die each year in the US; the UK didn't record one death between 2005 and 2015. Not something Woody mentions 3/ 
At least the US Ambassador was upfront in making clear that he was using the media to open up negotiations on an FTA, allowing access to UK markets for US food producers. Dear old @michaelgove has insisted food standards will not drop post Brexit but does he mean it? 4/
The president of the @NFUtweets, @Minette_Batters called on Gove to introduce legislation to guarantee those standards so they can't be bartered away. Of course she's doing this to protect her members; it's her job. But it would also protect consumers. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi… 5/
Has Gove said 'what a good idea'? Er, no. he hasn't. He just makes comforting speeches. Here's the thing. If we do leave the EU we're going to be gagging for any kind of Free Trade deal with the US. And the agriculture lobby there is massive and determined. 6/
The US Ag lobby is vital to the campaign financing and the votes of Senators across vast swathes of the US midwest. The lobby will hold the line, and demand access to our markets for food producers whatever Gove says about resisting. 7/
We know that Brexit is all downsides. It's is often called an act of national self-harm, but letting in chlorine washed chicken as woody demands, would be literally harmful to the health of the nation. It makes me sick, in so many bloody ways. 8/
