Liam Fox has insisted he has “no objection” to British people eating chlorinated chicken from the US as he reopened a Cabinet rift with Michael Gove.

The International Trade Secretary said there are “no health reasons” why people could not eat the food as he signalled he would be open to the item being included in a post-Brexit free trade deal with the US.

But Mr Gove, the Environment Secretary, reiterated his vow to block chlorinated chicken being imported on the grounds that the way it is produced breaches UK animal welfare standards.

Mr Gove said the UK will “maintain high animal welfare standards in any trade deal” and as a result the US would not be allowed to export its chicken to Britain “unless it were to change its animal welfare rules”.