The NFU has said British farmers work to 'vastly higher' standards than their Polish counterparts after The Guardian raised concerns over meat sourced from a Polish firm which supplies UK retailers.
The Guardian's article covers findings from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and ITV that a major Polish chicken supplier to Lidl, Asda and Iceland, is sourcing chickens from farms that use fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
These antibiotics, which are legal to use in the UK and EU under tight restrictions, are classified as 'critically important for human health' by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Following the article's publication. the NFU has written to the paper to clarify that the product referred is sourced from Poland, underscoring the high health and welfare standards adhered to by British poultry producers.
The union's poultry board chair, James Mottershead said the UK had a "proud track record as a progressive, resilient and innovative poultry industry".
His letter to The Guardian reads: "The product referred to in your article... originates from Poland, not the UK where our farmers work to vastly higher health and welfare standards.
"Our industry is delivering on the safe and responsible use of antibiotics with a 95.5% reduction in the use of critically important antibiotics and a 74% reduction in the total use of antibiotics.
"Meanwhile, over 95% of chicken produced here in the UK is Red Tractor assured, which means birds can roam in barns that provide natural light and have access to enrichments.
"Our stocking density, the number of birds allowed per square metre, is lower than in Europe and Red Tractor goes beyond this with a lower stocking density that the UK's legal limit.
"Shoppers wanting to buy poultry products produced to high standards can do so by supporting British farmers and looking out for the Red Tractor logo on packaging."
