Britain’s biggest supermarkets are under increasing pressure to publicly ban chlorinated chicken, as campaigners and farmers warn food standards are at risk of being pulled apart in UK-US negotiations.
Retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi and Waitrose have been asked to clarify whether they will continue to keep low-standard imported goods off their shelves, as there is renewed scrutiny of how the origin and standards of food are communicated to shoppers.
The push follows a campaign led by 38 Degrees that claims consumer concerns are growing as trade talks with the US continue under the framework agreement agreed in June 2025.
More than 150,000 shoppers have backed the campaign, calling on supermarkets to commit to refusing chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated meat.
A poll commissioned by the group and conducted by Savanta suggests that supermarkets could face a significant public backlash if these products are allowed to appear on shelves.
The survey found that 68% of British adults oppose selling chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated meat in British supermarkets, even if it helps secure a trade deal with the US, while just 9% said they supported the move.
Opposition spans the political spectrum, with a majority of Labor, Conservative and Reform voters opposed to the product hitting shelves.
For farmers, the issue goes beyond consumer choice. Industry groups have long warned that allowing imports produced to lower standards risks undermining domestic producers who already operate under strict welfare, environmental and food safety rules.
Chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated beef are now banned in the UK, and the standards have been repeatedly cited by farming groups as a red line in trade negotiations.
Alongside the poll, more than 75,000 shoppers also signed a separate petition calling on retailers to remove chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated beef from stock.
In a letter to supermarket chief executives, 38 Degrees warned that selling such products would be a “red line” for many customers.
Activists say chlorine cleaning has been linked to lower animal welfare standards in parts of the US poultry sector, while hormone-treated meat remains banned in the UK on public health grounds.
They also warn that cheap imports produced to lower standards will further squeeze UK farmers’ profits as costs continue to rise and markets remain volatile.
Supermarkets have been at the center of the debate in 2020, having made voluntary commitments to remove such products from their shelves, even though trade policy remains the responsibility of governments.
Retailers now have until February 2 to confirm whether they want to renew these commitments, amid growing pressure for clear guarantees on food standards and sourcing.
For the agriculture sector, the results are seen as a key test of whether the standards promised in policy will be met at accounting time, or whether they will be eroded by imports that British producers are not allowed to match.
