PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Disallow chlorinated chicken being allowed to enter UK food markets and shops.
We call on the UK Government to enact legislation banning the import of chlorinated chicken from any country to protect UK food safety and animal welfare standards.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
6
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 6/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 6/100,000
Background
Health Concerns:
Chlorine washing treats chicken carcasses with chlorine-based solutions (e.g., chlorine dioxide or hypochlorous acid) to kill surface bacteria like Salmonella:Campylobacter. This masks deeper hygiene issues in the production chain. A 2018 Southampton University study found that pathogens can survive chlorine washes. The process might obscure systemic flaws where bacteria thrive.
Welfare Concerns:
The bigger issue is what chlorination enables: lower animal welfare standards.