The European Commission's proposal to end a ban on US poultry being sold to EU consumers has been panned by the US administration. The ban was introduced in 1997 because US chickens are washed in chlorine to prepare them for human consumption whereas EU chickens are rinsed in water. The Go-Chairman of the Transatlantic Council (TEC), Daniel Price, has said that the Commission's 28 May draft regulation "is the functional equivalent of leaving the ban in place". In an exclusive interview with Europolitics Environment, Price said he was "very disappointed" with the move because "none of the conditions that producers must meet for the ban to be lifted are justified on any scientific basis". Specifically, Price said the requirement that chlorinated chickens contain a 'chemical decontamination' label had "nothing to do with health or nutritional content" and was merely intended to "deter consumption".
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