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NAG official Statement

From: AZA Nutrition Advisory Group Steering Committee
Date: 7 October 2002
Re: Horse Slaughter Bill(s)

Historically, horsemeat-based diets have been used for zoo carnivores in the United States due to leanness and economics compared to other red meats. The use of USDA-inspected horsemeat is accompanied by more stringent inspection and labeling criteria than applied to animal grade horsemeat, thus providing a higher quality, clean, and wholesome product for use in zoo carnivore diets. If the supply of human food quality raw horsemeat is restricted, it would have a great impact on zoo carnivore diets (these animals are fed raw diets). Meats processed for pet foods, which are heat-treated as part of the diet production process, are not suitable for zoo carnivore diets and are not considered an alternative source in the absence of human food quality meat. Closing of the horsemeat processing plants in Texas will limit options for horsemeat sources nationwide and potentially will adversely affect feeding programs in United States zoos. The zoo nutrition community supports multiple options for manufacture and distribution of quality diet products. In the past few years, competition among meat suppliers has increased the quality of products available to zoos while maintaining price control. AZA accredited zoos have worked closely with meat processors in defining nutrient, ingredient, and handling specifications for these products to insure production of the best possible diets. Importation of horsemeat from other locations (including those locales with similar inspection criteria) for the feeding of zoo carnivores will likely increase overall costs for zoos, and force the processing of horsemeat outside of the country. If cost is increased, smaller zoos may have a much more difficult task of finding a suitable replacement product for feeding their carnivores. USDA oversight of these processing plants helps not only insure a high quality product, but helps insure that the animals are treated humanely prior to slaughter. USDA-inspected horse processing plants handle horses humanely. Without such a regulated outlet, there is increased likelihood of horse abuse, since owners unable to dispose of unwanted horses may end up neglecting them. There is no indication that adoption of the 1998 California law banning the slaughter of horses in that state reduced the number of unwanted horses, rather simply may have changed the final destination of those animals to a facility out-of-state or to a foreign country.