BEEF from hormone injected cattle and chicken washed in chlorine should be part of a new UK trade deal with the United States, according to the president of America’s National Farmers Union.

Food produced in the US is 'perfectly safe', according to Roger Johnson, who said there had been 'fear-mongering' on the issue.

Supporters of a post-Brexit transatlantic trade deal believe it could open up the huge American market to British farmers. However, it is likely that it would require the same rights for US farmers to sell their products in the UK.

Opponents of such a deal have seized on the US production methods of chicken and beef, warning that either pose health risks or undercut UK farmers because they are cheaper to produce.

As head of an organisation that represents around 200,000 US farms, Mr Johnson insisted that US rules were of a 'different' standard rather than a lower one.

“I think it is fair to say that the standards that we follow for more rapid scientific advancement, than a more cautionary approach from the EU, means that scientific advances are going to happen more slowly,” he said.