Proposed horse meat ban cites health concerns

Eating horse meat would expose consumers to unknown and dangerous chemicals, says a new bill to ban the sale and transport of horses for consumption.

The measure (H.R. 1094) from Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Pa.) comes as several European countries grapple with the discovery of horse meat in products marketed as 100-percent beef.

That scandal has prompted few, if any, reports of adverse health effects. But Meehan's bill warns of a "likely … serious threat to human health" from substantial exposure to drugs used in horses. 

"Horses are not bred for human consumption," Meehan said in a statement. "Horses are routinely treated with drugs over the course of their lifetimes that are toxic to humans if ingested."

The bill lists 12 potentially dangerous chemicals that could move into the food chain if horses are slaughtered for consumption.

The drugs' side effects in humans range from skin lesions to tremors to liver damage to heightened susceptibility to infection, studies show.

Meehan's bill had 20 cosponsors Wednesday. A similar measure in the Senate was introduced by Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

Lawmakers argued that horses sold for food also experience "brutal and inhumane" conditions.

The last ban on slaughtering horses for consumption lapsed in 2011.

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