American horse-meat risks explored in HSUS report

The number of drug contamination of American Equus caballus meat has been highlighted inward a white newspaper produced past times the Humane Society of the United States.

The newspaper details what it says are nutrient security risks associated alongside consuming meat from American horses.

US horses are primarily used for society or contest in addition to are so non treated inward the same agency every bit animals raised for human consumption.

Horses, the newspaper says, are usually given pharmaceuticals banned for piece of job inward food-producing animals past times the US Food in addition to Drug Administration in addition to the European Commission’s Food in addition to Veterinary Office. 

“The slaughter of American horses poses a potentially serious wellness direct chances to human consumers, yet tens of thousands are even so slaughtered for their meat,” said the society’s manager of world wellness in addition to animate beingness agriculture, Dr Michael Greger.

“New measures set inward house inward the European Union to address this direct chances are vital steps to ensure horses who are regularly given phenylbutazone in addition to other European Union-banned substances are kept out of the slaughter pipeline.”

Each year, to a greater extent than than 100,000 US horses are transported for slaughter inward Canada in addition to Mexico. The meat is exported for consumption inward the European Union (EU) in addition to Japan.

Research shows that horses from the US comprise a large pct of the total butchery output of Canada in addition to Mexico.

A study of the medical records of racehorses sent to slaughter shows that roughly horses alongside a history of phenylbutazone piece of job are making their agency to slaughter plants despite the US in addition to other countries’ ban of the piece of job of the drug inward nutrient producing animals.

Phenylbutazone, usually called “bute”, is an anti-inflammatory regularly given to horses, in addition to it is known to live hazardous to humans, fifty-fifty inward describe amounts.

In 2010, the European Commission’s Food in addition to Veterinary Office evaluated nutrient security standards for imported horsemeat in addition to establish that many countries did non come about adequate veterinarian pharmaceutical records, nor are at that topographic point systems inward house to differentiate those equines raised for human consumption from those that are not.

Therefore, effective from July 2013, the European Union volition postulate that all horses presented for slaughter at EU-certified plants inward countries which export horsemeat to the EU, convey a veterinarian tape listing all medications they convey been given over their lifetime.

This novel rule would homecoming nearly all American horses ineligible for unusual slaughter, the white newspaper suggested.

The humane social club in addition to Front Range Equine Rescue convey filed legal petitions alongside both the FDA in addition to the US Department of Agriculture to block companion, working in addition to present horses from beingness slaughtered for human consumption.

The white newspaper noted that, since US horses are primarily used for society in addition to contest rather than consumption, drugs may live administered without taking nutrient security implications into account.

This was peculiarly pertinent inward regards to the direction phenylbutazone. In 1949, phenylbutazone became available inward the  US for people suffering from both rheumatoid arthritis in addition to gout.

However, inside three years of its availability, PBZ was linked to serious adverse reactions, including aplastic anemia, bone marrow low in addition to  renal failure.

After examining several representative studies, it was banned for human piece of job inward the US. For animals, the entirely FDA-approved phenylbutazone piece of job is every bit an oral or injectable dose inward dogs and horses.

The white newspaper noted that, in 2010, the European Commission’s Food in addition to Veterinary Office (FVO) evaluated nutrient security standards of imported equine meat from non-members of the European Union.

It establish that many such countries did non keep veterinary pharmaceutical handling records for horses; in addition to at that topographic point was no systems inward house to differentiate equines intended for human consumption from all other equines.

“The evaluations besides reported that 3rd countries tolerate the direction of substances that are prohibited or unauthorized inward food-producing animals in the EU,” the white newspaper said.

Since 2000, the EU’s regulations province that Equus caballus meat cannot comprise residues of veterinarian medicinal products exceeding previously ready limits or residuum from substances banned for piece of job inward nutrient producing animals inward the EU.

These restrictions include phenylbutazone. If substances prohibited for piece of job inward food-producing animals are administered to equids, those animals must live excluded from the nutrient chain.

Both Canada in addition to United Mexican States convey submitted activeness plans inward monastic tell to comply alongside the EU’s import requirements for equine meat, in addition to both plans convey been approved past times the FVO.

In Mexico, horses imported for slaughter are to live microchipped in addition to edge controls convey been strengthened. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 sworn disceptation on veterinarian medical treatments is requested for all slaughter horses, regardless of their province of origin.

United States providers of imported horses (holding facilities) have been targeted inward samplings of the Mexican National Residue Monitoring Programme (NRMP).

According to the NRMP, nineteen samples of horsemeat inward 2008, nine inward 2009, in addition to 6 inward 2010, tested positive for residues of banned substances. All of the horses who tested positive were covered past times a annunciation stating that no treatments were given to the horses, in addition to all of these horses came from US providers.

In Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has implemented the Equine Information Document (EID). The EID contains a physical description of the animal, tape of the animal’s medical treatment for the previous 6 months, in addition to requires the signature of the animal’s possessor at the fourth dimension of ownership transfer to verify that all information is accurate.

If the EID indicates a Equus caballus has been given a nub non permitted for piece of job inward equines slaughtered for food, such every bit phenylbutazone, the Equus caballus volition non live eligible for slaughter.

However, the white newspaper said that the 2011 FVO audit noted “for those horses imported from the USA of America for straight slaughter, the equine identification documents received were non reliable …”

“As long every bit at that topographic point is no identification arrangement inward place, US horses volition non run across the European Commission’s novel nutrient safety
regulations, which volition travel effective inward July 2013,” the white newspaper said.

“The European Commission mandated a transitional menses of 3 years inward which 3rd countries convey to provide guarantees regarding medical in addition to drug history for horses during their concluding 6 months before slaughter.

“After the three-year transition period—which ends inward 2013— guarantees must live provided for the lifetime of the horses.

“This required lifetime guarantee that a horse be cleared of all European Union prohibited substances for piece of job inward food-producing animals could eliminate virtually all US horses from the nutrient chain.

“The substances banned for piece of job inward food-producing animals routinely  administered past times US Equus caballus owners homecoming almost American horses ineligible for unusual slaughter.”

It concluded: “Requiring accurate medical records in addition to identification documents, regardless of the horse’s intended use, would depict clear lines regarding each private horse’s eligibility for human consumption. Until such a arrangement is inward place, meat from American horses may pose a world wellness threat.”

 

The total white newspaper tin live read here.

 

 

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