CETA could mean chlorinated beef, genetically modified apple

[Oscar]

CETA could mean chlorinated beef, genetically modified apples and fish in Europe (more info at the end . . . )

[ http://canadians.org/blog/ceta-could-me ... ish-europe ]

November 27, 2015 - 4:22 pm

Vytenis AndriukaitisVytenis Andriukaitis, the European Union's commissioner for health and food safety, has stated that Europeans are worried about the lowering of food standards through the United States-European Union Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

He has stated, "Cloning and hormone-treated beef and chlorinating chicken are prohibited by us. ...We do not negotiate our standards. Not with food, not in health care and not to protect the environment." Given TTIP would impact those standards, he has commented, "I don't see a safe majority for this yet."

The Council of Canadians has been highlighting that Europeans should have similar concerns about the erosion of their food standards through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

Beef
Andriukaitis mentions chlorinated chicken because while the United States allows poultry producers to dip slaughtered chickens in a bleaching solution to kill germs and bacteria, the European Union has banned imports of this kind of meat. We have noted that while chicken is excluded from CETA, Health Canada regulations allow both chicken and beef to be washed and processed with chlorinated water. [ http://canadians.org/blog/will-chlorina ... way-europe ]

Additionally, under the previous government 100 food safety inspectors lost their jobs with the CFIA, meaning that the number of food safety inspectors is now lower than it was in 2008. [ http://psac-ncr.com/topics/public-servi ... inspection ]

If ratified, CETA would give Canada duty-free access to Europe for processed beef, pork and bison products.
[ http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-ag ... x?lang=eng ]

Apples
In March, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency gave permission to a British Columbia-based company to grow and sell a genetically modified apple in Canada. [ http://canadians.org/blog/could-ceta-me ... ted-europe ] The apple has been genetically modified so that it does not brown when cut or bruised. This is notable because under CETA more Canadian apples will be heading to Europe. Under the deal, the 9 per cent EU seasonal tariff on Canadian apples will be reduced to 0 per cent.

Fish
And just this month, Health Canada confirmed that it is reviewing the possible sale of genetically modified salmon as food in Canada. [ http://canadians.org/blog/council-canad ... almon-food ] The AquaAdvantage brand salmon will contain a growth hormone from a Chinook salmon and a gene from an ocean pout, an eel-like fish, so that it will grow to maturity at twice the normal rate. Beyond food safety concerns, there is also worry that a genetically modified fish could potentially contaminate wild salmon stock.

Notably, the United States Department of Agriculture has also approved the genetically modified apple and the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved the genetically modified salmon.

This is also significant given CETA establishes a mechanism in which Canada and the European Union can "discuss and attempt to prevent or resolve" non-tariff barriers relating to agricultural exports, and TTIP could include a Sanitary and Phytosanitary committee to review whether food safety measures are the "least trade restrictive" and "equivalent". Both these "regulatory cooperation" processes would be a means for corporate agricultural interests to push against food standards that reject
chlorinated and genetically modified foods.

CETA and TTIP are a threat to food safety.


Brent Patterson’s Blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson


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Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality - Chlorine Guideline Technical Document

[ http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/publicati ... page=3#a24 ]

5.3 Food

Chlorine and hypochlorite salt solutions are commonly used during food processing to disinfect water supplies and control microbial agents. Fresh produce is permitted to be washed with chlorinated wash water containing free chlorine residual levels between 2 and 7 mg/L (or 100-150 mg total chlorine/L); excess amounts of wash water must be later removed from the produce (CFIA, 2005). Chlorinated water is also used in red meat, poultry, and fish processing. Water in contact with beef carcasses is permitted to contain a maximum total available chlorine level of 20 mg/L or a maximum level of 10 mg/L for total available chlorine as hypochlorous acid (CFIA,
2004). Beef must then be followed by a rinse with potable water or a similar appropriate measure to ensure that residues resulting from treatment are negligible (CFIA, 2004). Poultry carcasses and parts are also permitted to be dipped, sprayed, or washed with water containing 20-50 mg total available chlorine/L (CFIA, 2004) or up to 10 mg/L for total available chlorine as hypochlorous acid, provided that treatment is followed by a rinse with potable water. In fish processing, residual chlorine may not exceed 10 mg/L when the water will come into direct contact with fish; however, higher concentrations may be used for sanitation, provided that the water does not
come into direct contact with fish (CFIA, 2007).

No data exist for chlorine residues in food. However, due to their water solubility and high reactivity, chlorine and hypochlorite salts are not expected to accumulate or bioconcentrate in the food chain (ATSDR, 2002, 2007; UNEP, 2003). Therefore, there is no reason to expect that residues above naturally occurring background levels would be found in foods (U.S. EPA, 1999a).