New Laws from Aug 1st

[Llwyncwn]

Dont know if this has been done before (havn't been on for ages).

I was interested in feature on P4 H&H about new laws from Aug 1st. Vets can no longer treat a horse without passport at hand. Passports must be kept with horse or yard will have just 3 hrs to produce passport. No more passports issued at slaughter house or auction (thank God). Opinions and views appreciated.

 

[Rollin]

The whole purpose of passports was to prevent horses who had been given drugs entering the food chain. It has always seemed a nonsense that horses could be issued with a passport prior to slaughter.

But here is the nonsense. My vets in the UK always checked my horses passports unless they knew the horse very well.

Here in France, where horse meat is eaten, neither my three visiting vets, nor the Ministry of Ag. who have inspected me, have EVER asked to see a horse passport.

If I want BUTE I can, in any case, buy it from my local pharmacy without a letter from my vet, so of course, I could stuff a horse full of BUTE and send it to slaughter.

It would appear that the French circumnavigate this possible embarrassment i.e. my local supermarket and butcher buy their horse meat from MEXICO where I am sure they don't give a scoobydoo about horse passports or humane slaughter.

As they say 'The Law is an Ass'

 

[Equibrit]

The Mexican slaughter hoses are supplied with horses from N America who are probably stuffed with any substance you care to mention.

 

[Gonetofrance]

The French import cheap horsemeat for the supermarkets. Mainly from Brazil, Uruaguy and Canada. No different to the UK importing beef from places like Argentinia...........

The new outcry in the US and Canada is coming about because of the apparent new EU 180 day ruling which will come into force in April 2010.

This will mean that horses have to be held at groupage yards with no treatment before being slaughtered, for the 180 days.

It spells disaster for horse welfare. We're trying atm to locate the document with the regultions.