Poultrymeat chemically disinfected in the United States

18.4.2008

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2501/08
by Czesław Adam Siekierski (PPE‑DE)
to the Commission

I should like to state that I am categorically opposed to the Commission's plans to authorise imports of chemically disinfected poultrymeat from the United States into the EU. This has been banned since 1997. The authorisation of such imports would have an adverse impact on EU poultry producers and also on consumers, who expect the products they buy to be safe and to meet high quality standards.

It is difficult to see why, on the one hand, ever more stringent requirements are being imposed on our farmers and producers at each stage in the production process, with them even being obliged to ensure the welfare of their animals, while, on the other hand, thought is being given to authorising imports of poultrymeat that has been chemically disinfected in an abattoir. Either we maintain and support high poultry rearing standards on EU farms, or we authorise chemical disinfection in abattoirs. While the latter option obviates the need to run hygiene checks on farms during rearing, thus making for lower costs, it is in breach of European poultrymeat production standards.

I believe that European consumers do not wish to find on their plates chicken that has been chemically disinfected using substances whose effects on human health are unknown.

Surely ensuring consumer safety and high food-quality standards is a priority for the Commission? So why does it wish to allow poor-quality products which do not meet EU production requirements onto the EU market?

Has it analysed the economic impact that authorising imports of poor-quality poultrymeat from the United States would have on the EU poultrymeat production sector?

OJ C 40, 18/02/2009