Horse meat vendors under investigation

Market vendors and a pet food abattoir in Auckland are under investigation by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority after a television news investigation alleged horse meat was being sold illegally for human consumption.

The abattoir was approved to process horse meat as pet food only, but TVNZ's Close Up found its products were being sold by some Otahuhu and Mangere market vendors, who were apparently telling people it was OK to eat. One product on sale was loi hoosi, a Tongan dish which features horse meat.

The markets had come under investigation two months ago and it was found the horse meat was correctly labelled as being unfit for human consumption, NZFSA director of compliance and investigation Geoff Allen said.

However, the footage from TVNZ revealed the market vendors had been telling customers that the horse meat was actually fit to be eaten by humans - which Mr Allen said was misrepresentation, and breaking the law.

"What we couldn't really do was listen in on the conversations, what the people that were selling this stuff were saying to the customers.

"It appears from the footage that while the signs are up and the labels are on, these people that are selling it are saying `Oh that's okay, yeah, go for it'."

Mr Allen said the meat sold by the abattoir was acceptable to be used for pet food, but humans consuming it would be same as putting 95 octane petrol into an aeroplane.

"They're both petrol, but the aviation gas is produced to a much greater, more exacting set of standards."

The NZFSA expected to receive the footage from TVNZ today before beginning the investigation.

Mr Allen said while it was not yet known how long the investigation would take, it would be a matter of some urgency.

"Because we hold the view that there are food safety issues here and people could be hurt or damaged or made sick by this, we would classify this as one of our priorities."

- NZPA