Horse Meat Consumption − Between Scandal and Reality

The meat adulteration scandal has led to numerous controversies in the press and among consumers concerning the effects of horse meat consumption, its nutritional characteristics, the confidence in foodstuffs, and the frauds and ethics issues in food production. The present article proposes a scientific evaluation of the physical, chemical and nutritional characteristics of the horse meat with a comparison between the meat coming from other species of domestic animals focusing also on its production for human consumption, the traditional consumption in different areas of the world, arguments for consumption, the reaction of the European Commission and the measures taken in order to avoid critical situations of such kind. The materials and methods used for research consisted in treaties and scientific articles regarding the characteristics and nutritional facts of the horse meat, statistical databases, data about its production and consumption, studies among consumers and media items on the horse meat scandal, and official documents concerning the food fraud. Although the horse meat scandal has affected the European consumer behavior, the main problems are not nutritional or food safety. This type of meat is a valuable new foodstuff, with physical, chemical and nutritional characteristics higher or closer to those of other domestic animals, being a part of the traditional diet in many communities. Yet, the main problems are those related to ethics, such as the attempts of fraud of some producers or traders. The European Union reacted promptly to the scandal of beef substitution with horse meat, proposing measures for strengthening the system of control and food fraud prevention.