PARIS (AP) Meat from horses used in laboratory procedures was illegally sold as fit for human consumption and landed on French dinner tables, authorities said Monday.
Police, food safety and veterinary investigators carried out pre-dawn raids in 11 regions around southern France, arresting 21 people. The complex case raised new concerns about how this country, with its rich culinary reputation, polices its food supply.
Marseille Prosecutor Brice Robin said the animals had been used in laboratories including that of drugmaker Sanofi-Pasteur and then, instead of being destroyed, ended up in the food chain. He said Sanofi-Pasteur correctly labeled its meat, and "considers itself a victim" in the case.
The prosecutor said he has no proof so far that the horsemeat was toxic, just that it wasn't supposed to be sold as meat at all.
He described a network of veterinarians, computer experts and others who allegedly worked together to falsify documents. He said investigators have identified at least 100 horses that had been certified as "unfit for consumption" after the lab work, but whose papers were doctored to read "fit for consumption" instead.
