“They don’t take our farm products,” United States President Donald Trump told reporters in February. “They take almost nothing, and we take everything from them … tremendous amounts of food and farm products.” He was addressing the record $20.5 billion deficit in trade between U.S. and European agricultural products, one reason why he subsequently announced tariffs on agricultural and other products imported from the European Union and the United Kingdom.

President Trump has characterized certain food safety laws as an excuse other countries use to treat the United States unfairly and gain trade advantages. But a deeper dive into this specific subject reveals that the U.S. has some of the worst food laws—and the worst food—in the world. Other countries don’t import American food largely because many U.S. farming practices are illegal in the rest of the developed world.

https://twitter.com/factanalyst_phd/status/189693117238048390

Chlorine-Washed Chicken

The day after he announced the reciprocal tariffs, characterizing it as an economic “Liberation Day,” President Trump told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on April 3 that the new tariffs against British imports could be removed if Britain begins importing American chlorine-washed poultry.

In a statement on April 2, the White House claimed: “The UK maintains nonscience-based standards that severely restrict U.S. exports of safe, high-quality beef and poultry products.” President Trump called this a “non-tariff barrier” since, according to U.S. health standards, chemically washing meat reduces the risks of pathogens like salmonella.

The problem is chemically washed meat is banned in Britain. This is not because Britain believes the chlorine is bad to ingest; it chlorine washes its salad leaves. But British and European countries require high hygiene standards during meat processing rather than chlorine washes to prevent pathogens. In the U.S., lower hygiene standards are allowed during processing, and companies “make up for it” by decontaminating poultry with chlorine before packaging. This approach also allows for less humane methods in the raising of the animals.

One 2018 study by Southampton University showed bacteria such as listeria and salmonella can remain active even after a chlorine wash. The study found that chlorine was ineffective at clearing all the bacteria, and also rendered the bacteria unculturable, meaning undetectable in a standard lab.

This debate between Britain and America over chlorine-washed chicken has been going on since the 1990s. The EU first outlawed chlorinated chicken in 1997, when Britain was part of the EU. After Brexit, Britain kept the ban.

The U.S., EU and British governments haven’t gone so far as to state that consuming chlorine-washed chicken is harmful. Health experts and authorities maintain that consuming chlorine in such small amounts is safe. But in addition to consuming chicken that has been raised poorly, has been processed less hygienically, and retains undetectable bacteria, consuming the chlorine itself can lead to the formation of chloroganic compounds, according to some studies. These compounds build up over time, are hard to get rid of, and can cause cancer.

Hormone-Treated Beef

Britain and the EU have similar restrictions on American beef treated with artificial growth hormones. In 1989, the EU banned it, greatly reducing their imports of American beef.

American farmers have been using hormones in their cattle since the 1950s. U.S. health authorities say food safety tests have not yet proved that hormone-treated meat is harmful: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of several natural and artificial hormones, claiming they are safe for consumption in small amounts. The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association says about 80 percent of American cattle are hormone-treated.

However, European regulations require the product to be proved completely safe, rather than merely non-harmful, and the longer-term effects of hormones in meat are still not fully known. Several studies conflict with fda claims that hormone-treated meat is non-harmful. Tests have shown the meat can contain residue of steroids, synthetic growth hormones, phthalates and other contaminants that can lead to early puberty in children, disrupt the endocrine system, and cause cancer. Endocrine disruptors are natural or synthetic hormones that basically clog hormone receptors, making the body think it has enough of that hormone, so it stops producing it.

After a series of disputes at the World Trade Organization that the EU’s ban on U.S. meat violated international trade laws, the two sides agreed in 2009 that the EU would import a certain quota of non-hormone-treated beef from the U.S. But as President Trump has shown, American companies are still eager to export hormone-treated meat to European and British markets.

Pesticides and GMOs

Another conflict in European and American agriculture trade has been over pesticides and genetically modified crops. More than 70 pesticides used in U.S. farming are currently banned in the EU. These include:

• Chlorpyrifos, an insecticide known to cause brain damage in children
• Paraquat, one of the most poisonous herbicides, known to cause Parkinson’s, leukemia, lymphoma, skin and brain cancer
• 1,3-Dichloropropene, a soil fumigating pesticide that often leaks into water and air and is known to cause nasal and bladder damage, and is carcinogenic
• Neonicotinoid pesticides, which are harmful to bee populations

In February, the EU planned further restrictions on pesticide-treated agricultural imports. While Europe doesn’t strictly ban all genetically modified or genetically engineered food, all genetically modified agricultural imports must pass the European Food Safety Authority risk assessment.

In its 400-page Foreign Trade Barriers report, published on March 31, the U.S. Trade Representative accused the European Food Safety Authority of causing “unpredictable delays” and trade disruptions. Along with other strict EU regulations on sourcing and labeling, President Trump has characterized these measures as “non-tariff barriers” and part of the reason why his American tariffs are “reciprocal.”

The EU and UK are now negotiating with the U.S. for new trade deals that could reduce imbalances, but they say they are unlikely to compromise their restrictions on American food imports.

In his book The United States and Britain in Prophecy, the late theologian Hebert W. Armstrong showed that the Americans and the British are actually descendants of the ancient Israelites and have a history with God. Their massive agricultural, industrial, financial and military power actually traces back to God fulfilling national promises made in the Holy Bible. These blessings were given so that the modern Israelites could lead other nations to God. However, modern Israel has rejected God, even in how it handles His agricultural blessings, and it is subsequently incurring curses, which are also prophesied in the Bible.

To understand more about God’s purpose for agricultural blessings, for the United States, for Britain and for the whole world, request your free copy of The United States and Britain in Prophecy.