Aldi becomes latest supermarket to rule out sales of chlorinated chicken

Campaigners have taken matters into their own hands over fears that a deal with Donald Trump’s America could lead to food imported to the UK that has been manufactured in ways currently not accepted here.

While the government has claimed the Withdrawal Agreement prevents sale and imports of such products, the government refused to accept amendments to the new agriculture bill that would place in law a ban on it after Brexit.

Waitrose became the first supermarket to rule out stocking any products which lower standards in their store, with more than 100,000 signing a petition lobbying the other supermarket chains to follow suit.

Now Aldi has become the latest store to rule out selling meat and poultry imported from the US, reaffirming its commitment to fresh chicken and beef from British farmers.

The UK’s fifth largest supermarket’s fresh chicken and beef range said it would not drop that commitment.

Giles Hurley, the company’s chief executive, said: ‘Aldi is one of the biggest supporters of British suppliers and we want to make it clear that will always be the case. We are a signatory to the NFU Back British Farming Charter and our entire core range of fresh meat and milk is from Red Tractor-approved farms in the UK. We will never compromise on the standards or specifications of our products, and that includes a commitment to never selling chlorinated chicken or hormone injected beef.

‘Britain has some of the highest food quality standards in the world, and our commitment to only source chicken and beef from this country means our customers know they are always buying high quality Aldi products at unbeatable value.’

The news was welcomed by campaigners, including Naomi Smith at Best for Britain. She said: ‘This is an important statement that reassures consumers that the quality of food sold in Aldi’s UK stores won’t be sacrificed.

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‘With the UK government currently refusing to guarantee food standards won’t be watered down in order to push a US trade deal over the line, we strongly encourage other supermarkets and food retailers to offer the same commitment to their consumers.’