Australia. Australians do not generally eat horse meat, although they have a horse slaughter industry that exports to EU countries. Horse meat exports peaked at 9,327 tons in 1986, declining to 3,000 tons in 2003.
Few countries consider horse meat as an acceptable food, and Australia is not one of them.
Federally, horses can legally be slaughtered for food. But because they're classed as an "amenable species," horse meat can't be sold or shipped without inspection — and there is currently no legal process by which that inspection may take place. However, in the U.S., consuming horse meat is completely legal.
-- See NCJ-122651) The 1981 discovery that horsemeat and kangaroo meat were being substituted for beef in meat exported by Australia to the United States and other countries produced widespread changes in Australian law and administration related to commodity exports.
Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is one of the largest consumers of horse meat, behind China. This comes as no surprise since Kazakhstan draws its influence and roots from its history, which is very closely related to Chinese, Mongolian, and Russian influences.
Czech authorities alerted the discount furniture maker that they had found horsemeat in a sample of meatballs, and Ikea subsequently pulled the product from stores in 14 countries.
Horses became a taboo meat in the ancient Middle East, possibly because they were associated with companionship, royalty, and war. The Book of Leviticus rules out eating horse, and in 732 Pope Gregory III instructed his subjects to stop eating horse because it was an “impure and detestable” pagan meat.
While Aldi was indeed involved in a horse meat scandal in 2013 (see Reuters reporting here and here) the German discounter has not released any statement or confirmation of a repeat happening in 2023.
Approximately 2,000 tonnes of horse meat is exported from Australia for human consumption in Japan and Europe annually (ABS figures). Over 25,000 horses per year are killed in this way in Australia.
This product was manufactured by Silvercrest on behalf of Tesco. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) announced that horse meat had been found in frozen beefburgers at several Irish and British supermarkets, including Tesco, Asda, Dunnes Stores, Lidl, Aldi and Iceland.
Horse is a versatile meat that lends itself to a variety of preparations. It has more protein, and less fat than lean beef. It tastes somewhat like a mix between beef and venison. It can be a bit sweeter than other red meats, yet still possesses a dense meat flavor with a hint of gaminess.
Fast food giant Taco Bell said Friday it has taken beef off the menu in its three UK outlets after tests on ground beef from a European supplier revealed traces of horse meat. The discovery of rogue horse meat in a wide range of beef products has thrown the European meat industry into disarray in recent weeks.
The current legal situation is that 'game meat' can be sold in the US if it is not from an animal on the endangered list, according to the FDA. Zebras are not endangered, but their numbers are decreasing. In Africa, zebras are not viewed as livestock animals, and it is illegal to kill them for meat.
In fact, horse meat is not haram according to Islam but stands in the grey zone of makrooh which means things that are better left avoided but not forbidden.
In Australia, the standard variety of meat you can commonly buy at the supermarket includes chicken, turkey, pork, beef, lamb, kangaroo and fish.
It can be cooked and eaten just like other meats, but it may also be used in other ways. Horse meat is sometimes called equine, cheval, or Caballo.
According to official data promoted by Racing Australia, the national body for thoroughbred racing, less than 1 per cent of horses retiring each year end up at an abattoir. This represents around 34 horses per year ending up at slaughterhouses, according to the racing industry.
Over the years, the industry grew largely as a result of indiscriminate and over-breeding by some people who began to use slaughter as a convenient way to get rid of their unwanted horses quickly, rather than take responsibility for them by either taking the time to place them or by paying a licensed veterinarian to ...
Wild horses are considered to be a pest animal because of the damage they cause to the environment. Wild horses can: increase soil erosion – by killing vegetation, disturbing the soil and creating paths along frequently used routes. destroy native plants – by grazing and trampling.
Although horses were commonly used in pet food years ago, it fell out of favor when the public began to think of horses as domestic pets rather than beasts of burden. Today, no pet food or animal feed company of any repute would dare use or list horsemeat as an ingredient.
Evanger's blamed meat from a human-grade supplier for the dog food recall, but FDA disputed the supplier's status and found production safety risks. Horse meat and a deadly drug were found in cans of recalled Evanger's Hunk of Beef dog food, but how they got there remains a mystery.
In the 1920s, according to Nestle, slaughterhouses opened pet food companies to dispose of horse meat. It remained a major ingredient in pet food until at least the 1940s. Today, Nestle said, most pet food companies do not profess to use horse meat, partially for fear it would discourage people from buying the product.
Today, horse meat dishes are mostly only found in Central Asia. In Japan, raw horse meat is known as sakuraniku (where sakura is Japanese for cherry blossoms, and niku is Japanese for meat). It is low in fat, tender, and has a hint of sweetness to it.
Although in some other countries (mainly in Asia I believe) where it's said to be more common, I think it's sometimes called fragrant meat or mutton of the earth when it's translated.
Horse meat is commonly eaten in many countries in Europe and Asia. It is not a generally available food in some English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, the United States, and English Canada.