Horse Meat found in Tesco Burgers

The phrase "I'm so hungry, I can eat a horse" has never been more realistic.

MSN reported yesterday that British supermarket chain Tesco has recalled some of its burger meat after discovering various amounts of horse DNA (horse meat...hair...who knows) and even some pig meat too. One lab test found that horse meat made up approximately 29% of the burger's content. How could it have gotten in there and is horse meat even good for humans to consume?

Truth is, horse meat is as edible as any other meat. It is actually a good source of lean protein , but it is not exactly a popular choice. After all, most of us have never really thought of horses as food like we do with other animals such as chickens or lambs. We think of horses as companions and farm workers instead. For the most part, horse consumption is limited to Asia and Europe. However, there are some locations in the US and around the world that serve this unique meat to the masses. For example, M. Wells Diner in Long Island City, New York recently decided to put horse meat on their menu, a year after Congress reinstated federal funding to horse slaughter houses for the production of horse meat. 

Whether or not horse meat and other delicacies can become an accepted meat worldwide is one thing, but the adulteration of products with horse meat and other undesired contaminants is another. Consumers deserve to get what they ask for, don't they? It's a simple principle yet manufacturers and retailers don't always do enough to ensure the cleanliness, safety, and quality of their products. By now, most of us have heard of pink slime- the ammonia-treated filler added to beef products. When people buy ground beef, they expect to get (quite rightfully so) ground beef. Not pink slime made out of entrails and trimmings treated with chemicals. Not horse meat either. Just ground beef. I appreciate the fact that they tested their products and caught the horse-beef-pig meat but it should never have come to this. As of this time, authorities are still trying to figure out how the heck this happened.
 In the end, it all comes down to this:

Higher standards=Better products=healthier relationship between animals, consumers, producers, and retailers.

Hopefully, manufacturers and retailers take note of this discovery and plug any holes in their safety procedures. Consumers too might want to consider researching into where their food comes from and how to choose the best-quality available.