Horse and Hound and food fraud

I only know Horse and Hound from the 1999 movie, Notting Hill.

But the magazine reports that the 2013 horse meat scandal shed light on fraudulent practices on a huge scale.

Horse_&_Hound_(magazine)More than two years on from the grim news, what has happened and what is being done to try and ensure that history does not repeat itself?

As well as the public’s horror, the issue also threw up other major questions.

In January 2013, a study by the Irish Food Safety Agency found equine DNA in processed beef products.

It found that 29% of a tested Tesco’s everyday value burger was in fact horse meat.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) ordered tests on processed beef products.

The following month, it found the meat content in a Findus beef lasagne was up to 100% horse meat.

Further tests took place, identifying horse meat in other supermarket products, and the FSA said all horses must be tested for bute — and be found negative — before entering the food chain.

World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers said, “We believe that tougher checks at UK abattoirs have increased the under-the-radar trade of horses and ponies of a low market value to the continent, ostensibly for riding but in reality we believe many go for slaughter.”

Almost 10,000 horses were killed for human consumption in the UK in 2012, compared to less than 5,000 in 2013.

He added “probably thousands” of horses would be spared the “needless ordeal” of being exported for slaughter if the UK enforced its own laws.

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About Douglas Powell

A former professor of food safety and the publisher of barfblog.com, Powell is passionate about food, has five daughters, and is an OK goaltender in pickup hockey. Download Doug’s CV here. Dr. Douglas Powell editor, barfblog.com retired professor, food safety 3/289 Annerley Rd Annerley, Queensland 4103 dpowell29@gmail.com 61478222221 I am based in Brisbane, Australia, 15 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time