BRUSSELS (AFP) — European Union farm ministers rejected Thursday attempts to lift a ban on US poultry which is washed in chlorine, ensuring that American turkeys will not grace Europe's Christmas dinner tables.
An EU official said that 26 agriculture ministers, meeting in Brussels, voted against the attempted move by the European Commission, while Britain had abstained over a matter under discussion since spring.
In May, EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen proposed lifting the 10-year ban on US poultry under certain conditions, including special labels identifying the process and guarantees the meat would be rinsed.
But veterinarians, EU governments and the European Parliament could not be convinced.
"The Americans are free to disinfect their poultry with chlorine. We don't want to do it, and we will not do it," insisted French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency.
German counterpart Ilse Aigner said: "In Europe, we have a different philosophy aimed at avoiding salmonella contamination in poultry throughout their processing."
The US food industry uses the chlorine washing process on its poultry to kill off bacteria, including salmonella, before it reaches consumers' plates.
The practice is banned in the EU where veterinary experts favour hygiene controls throughout the hatching and rearing cycle to better ensure that the bacteria does not develop in the first place.
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