Criminal Killer Buyers allowed to "pencil-whip" equine health documents
CHICAGO, (EWA), – European horses sent to slaughter require a passport that chronicles every drug the horse has received since birth.
Canada and the U.S. do not regulate nor track this information in equines and American horse meat is potentially poisoning European consumers. Worse still, the American government is abetting the process. In 2008, 134,059 American horses were sent to Canada and Mexico for slaughter for consumption in the European Union with no regard as to the drugs they had received.
The EU is now insisting that the countries supplying this meat follow guidelines it issued in April, but it is apparently relying on the US and Canada for enforcement of an affidavit system.
For the past eight years, Congress could have ended the slaughter of American horses for human consumption in Europe. Despite strong bipartisan support, production agriculture has been allowed to stop the bills dead in their tracks preventing a vote on the floor of either one house or another.
On August 25, the Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) and the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) issued a press release questioning the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on how the European Commission (EU) guidelines issued in April would be enforced. The guidelines, issued to “third” countries outlined requirements for equines intended for food production, including a system of identity verification, a prohibition on banned substances and a minimum 6-month withdrawal period for drugs commonly used by American horsemen.
EWA has now learned the EU will accept affidavits from killer buyers and haulers employed by the offshore slaughter industry as proof that animals have passed the quarantine period.
It is inconceivable that the EU is prepared to trust the word of killer buyers and haulers, many with criminal records, to protect the health of European consumers. Currently, there is no mechanism in place to keep these profiteers honest.
The overwhelming majority of North American horses have received toxic wormers, drugs like phenylbutazone (PBZ), the “aspirin” of the horse world and even fertility drugs that can cause miscarriages in women – all banned substances in animals intended for food.
“PBZ is a known carcinogen and can cause aplastic anemia (bone marrow suppression) in humans”, says EWAs Food Safety Subject Matter Expert, Dr. Ann Marini, Ph.D./M.D.
EWA’s Vicki Tobin added, “If these animals were livestock, the USDA would never allow them to enter the food chain in the United States. I don’t understand how our government is allowing Europeans to consume horse meat with banned substances.”
CHDC’s Sinikka Crosland said simply “Drug-free equine meat from these horses is not an attainable goal, and without any enforcement mechanism the proposed system will be totally ineffective.”
This year, a bill to ban the slaughter of American horses for human consumption has been delayed until March to allow the GAO time to study the impact that the closing of the US plants may have had on horse welfare. The study does not even address the tainted meat Europeans will be allowed to consume. The EWA implores Congress to pass the legislation before it (HR 503 and S 727) and stop the export of our work, sport, therapy and companion equines to slaughter.
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Why dont we just stop the horrid meat trade HORSES ARE NOT MEAT they are animals blessed by god and blessed by angels they lend us the wing we lack, and we chuck them away when they are no good thats there pay back it needs to stop it cruel and barbaric, i live in England and i have spent over £6000 to rescue horses from the barbaric trade, America and canada should be ashamed and all the other countries that do it even England
Lets stand up for them, because i always will.
My name is MILLY COPELAND a proud horse girl that speaks out for them who can not speak for them selves.
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Why dont we just stop the horrid meat trade HORSES ARE NOT MEAT they are animals blessed by god and blessed by angels they lend us the wing we lack, and we chuck them away when they are no good thats there pay back it needs to stop it cruel and barbaric, i live in England and i have spent over £6000 to rescue horses from the barbaric trade, America and canada should be ashamed and all the other countries that do it even England
Lets stand up for them, because i always will.
My name is MILLY COPELAND a proud horse girl that speaks out for them who can not speak for them selves.
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This is no surprise, the EU talked about banning horsemeat a decade ago, but it all went away. I was talking to folks in DC just after the EU announced a new policy and they said this exact thing would happen. Why would the US Congress and Canadian government care about food safety in the EU? If the EU doesn’t care, other non-EU countries won’t care. We just need to pass the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act or nothing will change.
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The quick answer to your post header/question, R.T…absolutely, positively the EU, who has officially turned a blind eye will be aided and abetted by Canada and the USA. Mexico, however is an entirely another different and thoroughly corrupted mess. p.s. Joe at TBFriends can’t figure out why so many equines are coming to California “auctions” from neighboring states….I know why, it’s easier and those KBs work for the Mexican slaughter houses. Scum!
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Forgot to add, the US and Canada can’t even manage their own food safety system. Anyone think they are going to give a rat’s booty for a slaughter product that is either completely nonexistent(US) or miniscule(CAN) for in country consumption? Not hardly! I see there is ANOTHER beef recall this morning; second one this year for this processor…great job USDA! And remember, these recalls are frequently voluntary and almost entirely through self-monitoring. Priceless! Which begs the question, just exactly what does the USDA and FDA do beside burning up taxpayer dollars??????
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D. Masters – you are so correct.
EWA’s Vicki Tobin added, “If these animals were livestock, the USDA would never allow them to enter the food chain in the United States. …” I would not rely on USDA!
Just watched Food, Inc. Speaking of “priceless” – then watched a documentary about Ralph Nadar and all he has done for us, and “they” are trying to ruin him –
What a mess we are in!
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