CHLORINATED chicken and hormone injected beef are not welcome on Scottish supermarket shelves, the SNP has declared, as US President Donald Trump touched down on UK soil earlier today to meet with the Queen and Theresa May.

SNP representatives at Westminster are calling on the UK government to rule out any potential deal with the US which could lead to a deterioration in food standards and undermine our farmers.

SNP food and rural affairs spokesperson, Deidre Brock MP, stressed that agriculture must not be used as a pawn in the event of brokering a backroom deal during the President’s visit: “The Tory government must rule out any plans to sell out Scottish producers by weakening food standards as part of a damaging trade deal with Donald Trump.

“Scotland’s produce sector is a huge part of our successful economy; it’s time for the Tories to take the threat of chlorine-washed chicken and hormone injected beef off the table,” she urged.

“As the Brexit cliff edge gets closer, the Tories have offered neither clarity nor certainly for Scotland's food producers. It’s shameful that our hard-working producers are kept in the dark – meanwhile, the UK government rolls out the red carpet for Donald Trump. It is time Westminster showed Scottish producers and consumers some respect,” she concluded.

The Scottish Farmer met with US Government officials during a trip to the States at the end of May, where the US Department of Agriculture’s administrator Ken Isley said that the process of chlorinating chicken was to be fully phased out.

“Chlorinating chicken is a limited process here in the US and is being phased out for newer technologies – less than 20% of chicken is now chlorinated. Using Acetic acid is one option we are looking at, with the goal of removing microorganisms from food being processed.”

During the same visit, beef farmer Mike Martz, who fattens 8000 head of cattle a year for slaughter at his feedlot in Illinois, explained that a hormone implant was an important part of his operation: “98% of cattle in the US receive a hormone implant which improves feed efficiency, helping the cattle gain weight quicker. This leads to a better product for the consumer, leaner meat at a cheaper price.”