Europe Bans Horse Meat Imports from Mexico

The European Commission has taken decisive action to ban horse meat imports from Mexico, effective January 15. This decision follows concerns over inhumane treatment of horses and ineffective testing for meat safety. The ban is a significant move in the ongoing efforts to ensure animal welfare and food safety standards are met.

The European Commission announced on December 8 that it would suspend the residue monitoring plan for horse meat imports from Mexico. Aikaterini Apostola, the press officer for health for the European Commission, confirmed that this suspension effectively bans the import of horse meat, meat preparations, and meat products from Mexico. This decision was made after repeated negative audit outcomes by the Food and Veterinary Office of the Commission's Health and Consumers Directorate General in Mexico, with the latest audit conducted in June 2014.

One of the primary concerns was the inhumane treatment of horses transported from the United States to Mexican slaughterhouses. Michael Scannell, director of the Food and Veterinary Office, highlighted these issues at a European Parliament Intergroup meeting in Brussels on November 30. He noted that the worst contraventions were related to transport, with reports of animals arriving dead or unable to stand.

Scannell also mentioned that similar transportation issues could impact slaughter operations in Canada, with the commission considering a "six-month" rule for Canada. This rule would make it challenging to continue importing horses from the United States for export of horse meat to the European Union.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, described the decision as "the biggest blow" to horse slaughter since efforts in 2007 to shut down U.S. slaughter plants. He noted that Mexico not only slaughters its horses for export to the EU but also accepts tens of thousands of American horses for slaughter and shipment to Europe. This ban could significantly impact the North American horse slaughter industry, as EU nations like Belgium, France, and Italy are major consumers.

Another issue leading to the ban was ineffective testing, as Apostola pointed out. The 2014 audit revealed weak guarantees on horse identification, traceability, and medicinal treatment history, raising concerns about unauthorized substances in Mexican-slaughtered horses exported to the EU.

Scannell noted that while the slaughtering process itself was generally acceptable, the establishments involved are under significant pressure and scrutiny. Apostola mentioned that the suspension could be lifted if Mexican authorities provide sufficient guarantees and a future FVO audit yields satisfactory results.

Originally Posted ESPN