USA: Equine inspections to remain forbidden and SAFE Act wants horse export ban

The commercial slaughter of equine animals for human consumption ended in the United States 16 years ago. But the subject of horse slaughter still makes the annual legislative agenda in the nation’s capital and this year is no different. An annual budget proviso, for example, bans any funds for USDA for providing inspection services to any horse slaughter. The ban has been continuously enforced for the past decade, USDA has not been asked during that time for any grants of inspection for equine. The budget provisions are included in USDA and FDA appropriations to shut down any possibility of horse slaughter inspection by the federal government. Without inspections, the sale of any horse meat is unlawful in the United States. Equine remains on the menu for much of Europe and Asia. And that has left open an export market for horses shipped to Canada and Mexico. “The good news is that foreign demand has created for the North American horse slaughter Industry and horse slaughter has ...