It's bad enough when those burgers and meatballs you thought were beef actually contain horsemeat. But what about finding out they're also laced with a veterinary drug that can sometimes pose health risks for humans?
Well, that's exactly what a Portugal consumer protection group says they found in meatballs and burgers, opening a new front in the lingering horsemeat scandal that just won't end.
Officials at DECO, the agency that found the drug, said there was no immediate risk to human health, since the amount of Phenylbutazone—or bute—detected was so small. But it raised new questions about the safety of food production throughtout Europe.
Since January, horsemeat DNA has been popping up in all kinds of places across Europe where it isn't supposed to be. Officials are still trying to track down the sources of the illicit horsemeat, but the entire episode has been one scary insight into what happens in our huge industrialized food chain.
European food safety and medical experts are carrying out a risk assessment on the dangers posed by consuming products tainted with bute. A final report is due April 15.
More on the European Horsemeat Scandal from TakePart:
• Horsemeat Lasagna? Europe’s Meat Scandal Spreads
• Tacos Caballos? Taco Bell Now Implicated In Worldwide Horsemeat Scandal
