Drug contaminated horsemeat WAS sold for food
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has admitted that five horses which tested positive for veterinary drug phenylbutzone were exported to France for human consumption last year.
The FSA said it has identified eight cases where horses tested positive for phenylbutzone and that five were exported for sale in the food chain.
The statement followed shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh’s comments in the House of Commons that several UK-slaughtered horses had contained phenylbutzone, which she added was carcinogen.
Creagh demanded that the government takes action to prevent “illegal and carcinogenic horse meat entering the human food chain”.
Asda later withdrew its corned beef products after they were found to be contaminated with horsemeat containing phenylbutzone.
Subsequently, the FSA said that the trace levels of the drug posed no threat to human health.