# Is "chlorinated chicken" something that Americans worry about? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2018, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685 "2018-02-12T14:37:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/1 "2018-02-12T14:37:13Z")
In the ongoing Brexit debate, one point that seems to repeatedly come up is that the UK might have to be open to lower quality food imports from other countries. The favoured example of this is chlorinated chicken from the US, perhaps because it sounds particularly disgusting (and also, American (boo!) ) But is chlorinated chicken even a thing? If it is a thing, why are Americans apparently happy to eat it? Or is it export only? ---
**Author:** ![busterpickle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@busterpickle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/busterpickle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/2 "2018-02-12T14:44:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Chlorinated chicken – or chlorine-treated chicken – refers to chicken that has been treated with antimicrobial rinses in order to remove harmful bacteria. These rinses are often referred to as Pathogen Reduction Treatments (PRTs) in the US. > [@](#): > > According to a report from the Adam Smith Institute (which argues in favour of allowing PRTs), “immersing poultry meat in chlorine dioxide solution of the strength used in the United States reduces prevalence of salmonella from 14% in controls to 2%. EU chicken samples typically have 15-20% salmonella.” > [@](#): > > US regulators are unequivocal: yes, it’s safe. The USDA has approved several antimicrobial rinses for use in poultry processing, including chlorine dioxide, acidified sodium chlorite, trisodium phosphate and peroxyacids, and meat treated with such rinses is considered safe for consumers to eat. > > And, in fact, their EU colleagues agree. The European food safety regulator EFSA looked at the issue of chlorine treatment and found “chemical substances in poultry are unlikely to pose an immediate or acute health risk for consumers.” > **[Chlorinated chicken explained: why do the Americans treat their poultry with...](https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/food-safety/chlorinated-chicken-explained-why-do-the-americans-treat-their-poultry-with-chlorine/555618.article)** > > The prospect of the UK accepting US chicken treated with chlorine in order to secure a lucrative trade deal has got everyone in a flap. But just what is chlorine chicken? And what's the problem with it? Seems to be purely political, and, I don’t see how chlorinated chicken would be a lower quality food import. It’s obvious that we, the USA, don’t want salmonella outbreaks. Also, this is a final washing procedure. I’ve only read the one article, but, I’m inferring that after the chicken has been rendered, it goes through a chlorinated cold wash which brings salmonella down and chills the chicken for storage and transport. I’m sure the washing procedure includes a final rinse of the chicken to get rid of the chlorine solution otherwise you’d taste it. It’d be very obvious. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/3 "2018-02-12T14:47:57Z")
It’s about a rinse that reduces salmonella (my understanding is that it reduces it below current EU standards). I agree with some that it would be better to decrease this risk through cleaner processes all along the production line. That said, most of the chicken I eat is local rather than from a big agribusiness, an option not everyone has. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/4 "2018-02-12T14:48:25Z")
Don’t the British eat it all the time? Oh, that’s coronation chicken… Chicken rinsed with chlorine is a non-issue here. I’d never even heard of it until now, but [looking it up](https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/buying-and-supplying/food-safety/chlorinated-chicken-explained-why-do-the-americans-treat-their-poultry-with-chlorine/555618.article), it is as I immediately thought; the carcasses are rinsed in chlorine or chlorinated water. > [@](#): > > One of the EU’s key concerns is that the use of antimicrobial treatments like chlorine washes compensates for poor hygiene behaviour elsewhere in the supply chain (for example on farms), and that consumers are better protected by a system that doesn’t allow processors the simple ‘get-out’ of treating their chicken with chemicals. As a result, EU processors are only allowed to use cold air and water to decontaminate poultry carcasses. So the EU says, ‘American chickens are dirty! That’s why they have to disinfect them!’ American consumers are like, ‘Eh, we’re told to wash our raw chicken before cooking, and there’s chlorine in the water supply.’ ‘Chlorinated chicken’ may sound ‘particularly disgusting’, but you _drink_ chlorine every day and don’t think a thing about it. ETA: I found the same link as **electronbee**. . ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/5 "2018-02-12T14:52:49Z")
I lived in Africa for three years. _Everybody_ with a brain rinsed their locally purchased meat and veggies in water treated with chlorine bleach (it takes very little bleach to treat a sink full of water). That includes the Brits, the French, and anyone else who didn’t want contract salmonella, shigella or any other nasty bug from contaminated food. A rinse in clean water removes any lingering taste. ---
**Author:** ![biometricks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecae2f/32.png) [@biometricks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biometricks)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/6 "2018-02-12T15:15:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > So the EU says, ‘American chickens are dirty! That’s why they have to disinfect them!’ American consumers are like, ‘Eh, we’re told to wash our raw chicken before cooking, and there’s chlorine in the water supply.’ ‘Chlorinated chicken’ may sound ‘particularly disgusting’, but you _drink_ chlorine every day and don’t think a thing about it. I thought is was widely considered a bad idea now to wash poultry in the sink before cooking it because there is a higher likelihood that you would contaminate a larger area due to chicken/salmonella water being splashed around the sink. > **[Don't Wash Your Chicken - Don't Wash Your Chicken](https://drexel.edu/dontwashyourchicken/)** ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/7 "2018-02-12T15:18:37Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/8 "2018-02-12T15:23:21Z")
> [@biometricks](#): > > I thought is was widely considered a bad idea now to wash poultry in the sink before cooking it because there is a higher likelihood that you would contaminate a larger area due to chicken/salmonella water being splashed around the sink. > [Don't Wash Your Chicken](http://drexel.edu/dontwashyourchicken/) Now that you mention it, I do remember hearing recently (in the last year or two) that you don’t need to wash your poultry. But for decades the advice was to wash it and dry it. FWIW, I don’t allow my poultry to touch any surfaces when I wash it. In the case of a turkey, this is difficult. But since there are only two of us, I buy the smallest turkeys I can find. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/9 "2018-02-12T15:53:59Z")
The issue isn’t the fact that US chickens are washed with chlorine, which everyone including the EU agrees, reduces pathogens. The issue is that chickens in the US are raised in unsanitary conditions (compare to those in the EU), making chlorine washes pretty much necessary in the US. The concern is that the chlorine wash may not fully decontaminate the chickens. > **[Chlorine-washed chicken Q&A: food safety expert explains why US poultry...](http://theconversation.com/chlorine-washed-chicken-qanda-food-safety-expert-explains-why-us-poultry-is-banned-in-the-eu-81921)** > > Washing chickens in chlorine isn’t actually deemed dangerous – it’s what comes with it that’s the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/10 "2018-02-12T16:19:38Z")
So… if the process doesn’t de-contaminate the chicken where are all the reports of salmonella outbreaks linked to chicken in the US? I routinely use chlorine bleach to clean and disinfect around my home. It’s not some Evil Chemical, it’s a useful chemical when used appropriately. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/11 "2018-02-12T16:26:04Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > So… if the process doesn’t de-contaminate the chicken where are all the reports of salmonella outbreaks linked to chicken in the US? [This report](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/04/465530128/usda-imposes-stricter-limit-on-salmonella-bacteria-in-poultry-products) says > [@](#): > > Salmonella bacteria on raw poultry and fresh produce are estimated to cause about 1 million cases of illness in the U.S. each year. It has proved difficult to reduce that number because the bacteria are so commonly found in the environment, and especially in poultry. and calls it “one of the country’s biggest, and most intractable, food safety problems.” I don’t have time for a more detailed search right now, but I’m sure I’ve heard many reports of chicken-related salmonella cases in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/12 "2018-02-12T16:48:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘Chlorinated chicken’ may sound ‘particularly disgusting’ It sounds a lot better than “Southern fried Salmonella”. The U.K. should be more concerned about [Chipotle opening up a bunch of outlets there](https://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Article/2011/04/21/Chipotle-prepares-for-UK-expansion). Based on what’s happened in the U.S., Brits can look forward to fresh, locally-sourced Salmonella bowls and Norovirus queso. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/13 "2018-02-12T17:22:56Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > [This report](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/04/465530128/usda-imposes-stricter-limit-on-salmonella-bacteria-in-poultry-products) says > > and calls it “one of the country’s biggest, and most intractable, food safety problems.” > > I don’t have time for a more detailed search right now, but I’m sure I’ve heard many reports of chicken-related salmonella cases in the US. Huh. I thought we were actually having more problems with food borne illness in things like lettuce. Whether it’s mad cow disease in the UK or melamine in various foods in China or salmonella in the US it seems we all could do better with food safety. But then, industrial food production requires industrial grade safeguards. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/14 "2018-02-12T17:29:05Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > The issue is that chickens in the US are raised in unsanitary conditions (compare to those in the EU), making chlorine washes pretty much necessary in the US. If the link in post #2 is correct, however, EU practices are not producing a lower incidence of salmonella. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/15 "2018-02-12T18:18:40Z")
Once upon a time a bought a ready-to-eat chicken at a supermarket. When I opened it I got a distinct bleach smell. I took it back, but I suspect that I’ve eaten dozens of chlorine-treated chickens that didn’t happen to smell like bleach. ---
**Author:** ![bluezooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@bluezooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluezooky)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/16 "2018-02-13T06:24:46Z")
Bleaching seafood to “rejuvenate” it is definitely a thing, I wouldn’t be surprised if chicken is sometimes treated the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/17 "2018-02-13T07:30:35Z")
> [@bluezooky](#): > > Bleaching seafood to “rejuvenate” it is definitely a thing, I wouldn’t be surprised if chicken is sometimes treated the same way. There have been some pretty dreadful food health scandals here in the UK where unscrupulous traders were buying contaminated, spoiled or expired meat, washing it with bleach and water, repackaging it and selling it back into the low end of the catering market - including schools. I don’t know if that’s maybe a factor in the reluctance to routinely bleach fresh meat (that is, maybe doing so would make it harder to detect bleached meat that was initially condemned) ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/18 "2018-02-13T15:45:45Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > [This report](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/04/465530128/usda-imposes-stricter-limit-on-salmonella-bacteria-in-poultry-products) says > > and calls it “one of the country’s biggest, and most intractable, food safety problems.” > > I don’t have time for a more detailed search right now, but I’m sure I’ve heard many reports of chicken-related salmonella cases in the US. This [report](http://www.medicaldaily.com/salmonella-food-poisoning-most-common-vegetables-not-meat-325070)says that chicken related salmonella cases are 10% of all salmonella illness in the US. Vegetables cause 18%, fruit 12%, eggs 12%chicken 10%, beef 9%, pork 8%, and sprouts 8%. Given that chicken is the most common meat eaten in the US the numbers indicate that chicken is not as risky as other meats, presumably because all chicken is cooked well unlike beef and pork. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/19 "2018-02-13T17:28:34Z")
Given that about 30% of salmonella is caused by fruits/vegetables maybe we should be using chlorinated washes at home for green leafy stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685/20 "2018-02-13T18:55:17Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Given that about 30% of salmonella is caused by fruits/vegetables maybe we should be using chlorinated washes at home for green leafy stuff. And if Americans ate less meat and more fresh fruits and vegetables like they’re supposed to, this would probably go up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-chlorinated-chicken-something-that-americans-worry-about/808685.md?page=2)