Horse meat is yet another reason why many pet parents despise Nestlé, the company that owns Purina pet foods.
At least two of Nestlé’s products, Beef Ravioli and Beef Tortellini, have been found to contain, get ready for this, horse meat. The brands, which are sold in Spain and Italy, were subsequently recalled.
Hold on, I know this isn’t a news story about pet food, but how could I resist sharing this juicy tidbit given how much I despise Nestlé-Purina?
The situation gets worse: Lasagnes à la Bolognaise Gourmandes, a frozen meat product for catering businesses produced in France by Nestlé Professional was also discovered to contain horse meat and will also be withdrawn from sale, said the company.
Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) stated that it was “not yet possible” to determine whether any samples of horse meat in the nation were contaminated with phenylbutazone residue.
The agency suggested yesterday during a meeting of the European Union that each member state run spot DNA tests on 50 samples and then 10 samples to determine whether horse meat contains drug residues of phenylbutazone (also known as Bute).
Oh yeah, pet parents have to deal with drug residues and mystery meat on a daily basis.
The FDA responds: “Meh” when it comes to drug residues and mystery meat in pet food, but when it comes to food for humans, horse meat and drug residues are both considered “adulterants” and cause for a recall.
The EPN describes the methods used to kill horses in our nation up until 2007, when the last two U S. horse slaughterhouses closed.
The horses were first struck in the forehead until they (hopefully) fell asleep. The horses were then lifted into the air upside down, their hind legs chained, and their throats cut.
Reading the label is the only way to ensure that your dog’s food does not contain horse meat. Look for dog foods that contain lamb, duck, and chicken as ingredients. The first three ingredients should be specific proteins. Avoid feeding your dog any food that contains vague ingredients like “animal by-products,” “animal meal,” or “animal digest.”
According to a PETA forum, this all occurred after the horses were transported, sometimes over great distances of thousands of miles, and then lined up into the slaughterhouses where they heard and witnessed their fellow horses being struck in the head and bleeding. Naturally, this is also how pigs and cattle are cruelly killed in our nation, but I won’t even touch on that.
Although it has nothing to do with dogs, the headline “Plant may slaughter horses” in Saturday’s issue of The Forum caught my attention as an animal lover.
Can you feed horses dog food?
Dog and Cat Food. Hopefully, you don’t intentionally feed your horse dog or cat food, but it does happen occasionally for a curious horse to nose their way into the barn cat’s food bowl. Pet foods include meat, which is inappropriate for equine nutrition. Make sure your horse can’t get to the dog and cat food.
Does Purina dog food use horse meat?
According to the Equine Protection Network, an organization working to protect abused, neglected, and horses headed for slaughter, pet food manufacturers in the United States are not permitted to use horse meat in their dog food products.
FAQ
Did dog food have horse meat?
Horse meat was once a primary ingredient in pet food. According to Nestle, slaughterhouses established pet food businesses in the 1920s to dispose of horse meat. It continued to be a key component of pet food at least until the 1940s.
What foods contain horse meat?
Horse meat has long been present in many “meat dishes,” both frozen and not, affordable and expensive. Examples include hamburgers, lasagnas, raviolis, tortellini, sausages, prepared spaghetti bolognese, bottle bolognese sauce, chili con carne, shepherd’s pie, moussaka, and many other “meat dishes.”
What kind of meat is dog food made of?
The majority of the “meat” in dog food, according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), is actually muscle from cows, pigs, sheep, or goats.
Is horse meat good for dogs?
Dog treats made from horse muscle meat that are allergy-friendly The so-called hypoallergenic meat is well-tolerated by canines with delicate stomachs and food allergies. They are also a very well-liked treat during “feeding trials” or elimination diets.