Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2020 to Question 7113 on Food: Chlorine, whether the Food Standards Agency advises that chlorinated water can be used as a rinsing aid to control process hygiene during the washing of chicken; and if he will make a statement.

The Food Standards Agency advice is that no substance other than potable water can be used to remove surface contamination from chicken carcases.

Any substance to be used to remove surface contamination from chicken carcases must be specifically approved for that purpose. Chlorine has not been approved for this intended purpose and so cannot be used as a rinsing aid to control process hygiene during washing by food businesses to remove surface contamination from chicken carcases.