Officials say the Brazilian gang sold tons of horses disguised as beef and put rotting meat in burgers
A statement from the Rio Grande do Sul Public Department (MPRS) on Thursday said the gang distributed more than 800 kilograms (1,763 pounds) of hidden horse meat each week to restaurants in the Caxias do Sul region. Up to 60 percent of restaurants in the area with beef on their menus unwittingly bought horse meat from a gang disguised as steaks and burgers, public health officials say.
Inspectors also discovered other forms of spoiled meat – including rotting pork, turkey and leftovers from pig facilities – mixed inside the hamburger, according to the statement.
Officials said an investigation was launched two months ago after the local Agricultural Defense Ombudsman sounded the alarm. According to prosecutor Alcindo Bastos, who coordinated the operation, forensic tests carried out at the burger restaurant in Caxias do Sul confirmed the presence of horse DNA in the food.
The six arrested were also accused of operating an illegal slaughterhouse with poor hygiene and unhygienic conditions and were not authorized to process or sell any meat.
Judge Maria Cristina Rech placed the six in custody as a precaution pending trial because the gang posed a serious threat to public health, according to the MPRS.
Many meat eaters in the UK – where horse meat is often considered taboo – has protested by the revelations. A further discovery that year of pig DNA in beef products was of particular interest to Jews and Muslims, whose dietary laws forbid the consumption of pork.
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