Last week, a former cattle slaughterhouse in New Mexico moved one step closer to becoming the only plant in the United States that slaughters horses. Valley Meat Company in Roswell was found to be in compliance by USDA inspectors.
The plant’s owners say they can process as many as 100 horses a day, which will be sold for human consumption in Eastern Europe and Asia. The slaughterhouse is a target for animal advocates who say horses aren’t meant to be eaten. Opponents have left threatening, violent messages for the family that runs the plant.
The debate over whether horses can be food has been especially furious in the past several months. Earlier this year, meats in the United Kingdom were found to contain horse meat, even though they were labeled as beef or pork.
It’s the latest in a long line of scandals about the meat many of us buy and eat. Think of the scare over mad cow disease, or more recently, "pink slime" masquerading as beef.
Do any of us actually know what's in the food we eat? And how do we choose what food products to buy? KJZZ's Nick Blumberg asked one woman to walk him through her decision-making process at the grocery store. He brings us this audio postcard.