Ignore the scare stories our food is safe, say US officials

AMERICAN officials have rejected claims that food imported to Britain from the US under a post-Brexit deal would have lower safety standards.

The US Embassy in London says it fears that false allegations of lax food hygiene rules in the US are having a “pernicious” effect in Britain.

It spoke out following claims that ministers will reduce Britain’s safeguards in order to strike a trade deal with the US.

In a statement issued to The Sunday Telegraph, the embassy’s spokesman insisted the country’s food is “just as safe” as UK produce, and confronted criticism over America’s use of chlorine to disinfect chickens.

“These stories have a pernicious effect on people’s mindset over time,” the spokesman said.

“The headline in the story is often chlorine chicken. I think this country thinks we’re swimming with our chickens and that’s just not the truth.”

The unusual intervention comes in the wake of an article suggesting that contaminated food could be sent from the US to Britain.

Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, responded to the article by saying: “I have consistently said that there will be no lowering of UK food standards.

“To suggest otherwise is untrue – such a shame people pedal rumours and myths that are clearly wrong.”

The US embassy declined to say whether plans for negotiations on postBrexit trade could be affected by Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

It includes a fallback customs arrangement Brexiteers say will limit the UK’s ability to strike trade agreements with non-EU countries.

Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach, insisted his focus was on Brexit, not a potential election, during a press conference yesterday as uncertainty continues over the strength of Mr Varadkar’s Fine Gael party’s confidence-and-supply deal with Fianna Fail.