Horse Meat

[davi_el_mejor]

I've seen an increased number of news article about the amount of horse meat that has been found in European products.

Can someone explain to me why (besides the fact that the products are supposed to be beef) horse meat is so controversial?

 

[justginger]

A large portion of the population keep horses as pets, companion animals. You would be appalled to hear of dog meat being in your frozen lasagne, no?

That being said, I do think the MAIN issue is having mislabeled food on the shelves. Everyone wants to KNOW what they're eating.

I've now been off meat (minus poultry) since last October. It's a relief to not have to wonder what's in my 'meat' products.

 

[chrono]

Because horses are often pets. It's probably controversial but I've seen cat, dog, rat, rabbit and etc offered in Asian countries. Underneath it all, we are meat too. It is all a mind clean issue.

 

[monarch64]

The thought of eating a horse makes me cringe. But I grew up with horses so I'm pretty biased. It's funny that Chrono brings up the point that we are all meat underneath. When I was little I came to the realization that eating meat was just like me taking a bite out of my own arm. I hated eating meat growing up and had to be forced to eat it. I hid lots of it under couches--I know, disgusting, my poor mom. It's been over 7 years since I last ingested meat.

In the Middle East, horses have long been considered prized possessions. Eating them instead of preserving the bloodline is probably a no-no.

 

[Jennifer W]

Yes, I think people are upset that it's horse and they like horses as companion animals. However, from a food safety point of view, veterinary drugs that are routinely used to treat pain and inflammation in horses are banned from the human foodchain because they can cause health problems, and they are turning up in food products with horsemeat. Phenylbutozone, I think. Bute powders, to horse owners.

That, and there's some organised crime and fraud going on. As horse owners in the UK we were always aware that a stolen horse was at risk of ending up as butcher meat, and that was years ago. I suspect this is nothing new, but that the scale of it has increased.

 

[ChristineRose]

Live horses are valuable, certainly more valuable than however many pounds of hamburger. These horses must have been sick to begin with, hence unfit for human consumption.

 

[GemFever]

I come from Central Asia originally, where horses are working animals as well as companions, prized possessions, etc. But also meat, and a delicacy at that (though somehow I've never tried the horse meat products). Great points by Jennifer W and ChristineRose, I think. And the mind-clean aspect.

 

[justginger]

Live horses are valuable, certainly more valuable than however many pounds of hamburger. These horses must have been sick to begin with, hence unfit for human consumption.

I respectfully disagree. Many, many horses are literally worthless. There are THOUSANDS slaughtered for pet food, thanks to the horse racing industry and its overbreeding. I can't even count how many "free to good home" ads I've see for thorough- and standardbreds here.

 

[JaneSmith]

I've seen an increased number of news article about the amount of horse meat that has been found in European products.

Can someone explain to me why (besides the fact that the products are supposed to be beef) horse meat is so controversial?

1. Mislabeling/Fraud.
2. Mr Ed burger.
3. Phenylbutazone.

Safety issues

*Experts say horsemeat is as safe to eat as beef.

*The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has demanded food businesses to check for horsemeat in all processed beef products, such as burgers, meatballs and lasagne. The first set of results are expected on Friday.

*There is concern that some horses are given a drug called bute (phenylbutazone) which can be dangerous to humans.

*In rare cases it causes a serious blood disorder known as aplastic anaemia, where the body does not make enough new blood cells.

*Animals treated with phenylbutazone are not allowed to enter the food chain for this reason.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21455419

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Gotchya, so it's the bute and just culturally "icky."

 

[Harpertoo]

Not only is horse meat cheaper than beef, but the idea of not being able to trust labels really damages the credibility of the food company and potentially the food supply generally.

 

[beaujolais]

They say that the slaughter is often more brutal given the skittish nature of horses, as opposed to cows (besides the other reasons).

 

[Harpertoo]

Just heard a blip on BBC about donkey meat found in ground meat in N Africa!
Ugh. What next!?

 

[MsP]

Because horses are often pets. It's probably controversial but I've seen cat, dog, rat, rabbit and etc offered in Asian countries. Underneath it all, we are meat too. It is all a mind clean issue.

2nd. Horses are seen as pets in the US. I personally don't really agree with this as a reason to avoid horse meat as I've been around enough cows to know that they too can be gentle, curious animals.

I'd rather have a regulated and open horse meat market than a black market one riddled with issue... and I'd rather horses allowed to be to be slaughtered in the US instead of shipped via cramped, hot trucks to Mexico to be slaughtered.