Is eating horse meat bad for your health?

As a result of all the controversy that appeared after the publication of the report, the quality of the supermarket hamburgers according to the OCU, which showed the existence of traces of horse DNA in hamburgers of certain brands, and especially after it was discovered that some products of the brand Buittoni (Nestlé) contained horse meat instead of beef, there seems to be many doubts about the supposed effects of horse meat on health.

More specifically, it almost seems that in the media there has been a kind of constant doubt about the effects of this meat on health by the mere fact of finding products presumably beef that originally contained this type of meat, installing in the consumer the idea that it is a dangerous or negative meat product.

As we can see, the obvious problem is that we are faced with a fraud for the consumer, who buys a product thinking that it has been made with beef when it actually contains a certain percentage of equine meat, not reporting it on the label. Little has to do originally with whether horse meat is actually good or beneficial to our health.

Is it bad to eat horse meat for my health?

We must not confuse the existence of a deception to the consumer who buys products made with beef when in fact it has horse meat, with this being a bad meat or negative for health.

Nothing is further from the truth: horse meat, as we indicated in our note dedicated to the benefits of horse meat, is even one of the nutritionally healthiest meats that exist, thanks above all to its high content of quality proteins, minerals and omega 3 fatty acids.

Its consumption is actually recommended in children's diet, for pregnant women and athletes, as well as for all those who wish to consume it.

Therefore, we can respond positively: horse meat is an extremely healthy meat, and recommended within a varied, healthy and balanced diet.

But we can not forget something fundamental (and it is precisely this question that has caused many people to have doubts about the supposed effects of this meat on health): as with any meat product, the consumer should be assured that the Horse meat has not only passed all the appropriate sanitary and safety controls, but even those horses have been destined exclusively for human consumption.

This last part is emphasized, because in some of the meat products chemical substances have been discovered, probably because at first these horses were not originally intended for human consumption.

We can summarize, therefore, that horse meat is a meat even recommended within a balanced and healthy diet, as long as it has passed through the relevant sanitary controls (as it happens, in short, with any type of meat product).

But, why from the media is it allowed to glimpse that horse meat can be bad for health?

Probably due to ignorance, especially by those media that seek to get an audience with this type of controversy, so that a badly given or half given information is the only thing that ultimately gets the consumer to doubt.

Maybe we are faced with a clear problem of interpretation, and above all of not making things clear: what has happened here is that they have been selling horsemeat as if it were beef (from products made with it), and the consumer has not been informed as such by proper labeling; that is, no one has fallen ill from eating horse meat because in reality, like any meat and as long as it does not exceed its consumption - as it happens in the end with any other food - it is as much or even healthier than chicken meat .

In this sense, the doubt must be effectively raised as to whether those products have passed the relevant security controls, since by deceiving the consumer through labeling, they are not also ensuring that the meat is safe and that therefore there is no danger when consuming it, since its origin is unknown. In addition, it is logical to assume that if that meat does not appear in the composition of the product in question, who could ensure that it has actually gone through the sanitary controls required?

The conclusion is more than obvious: if you want to consume horse meat, it is best to buy those products whose packaging ensures that the meat has passed all the necessary controls. Although in short, we are before a council that must also be given when buying the rest of meats ...

Image | NatalieMaynor This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist. ThemesMeat

Would You Eat Horse Meat? (March 2024)