A B.C. politician is joining the charge to shut down the slaughter of horses for human consumption and a huge sign has been erected along Barlow Trail in Calgary to get the message out.
NDP MP Alex Atamanenko was in the city on Monday to unveil the huge billboard which sports the slogan “Stop Slaughtering Us!”
Atamanenko’s biggest concern is that animals that have been given drugs are ending up in our food chain despite federal regulations,
Several people were on hand for the unveiling and say that the animals used for food consumption are not raised for that purpose and could have been administered harmful chemical products like the pain killer, Phenylbutazone.
“It has been shown to be associated with significant health risks in humans particularly bone marrow suppression and aplastic anemia. It can be idiosyncratic, which means not dose-related, so even potentially small amounts could have very serious consequences,” said Dr. Sandie Hucal.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency argues horse meat from Canada and outside the country is safe to eat.
The CFIA says it has been regularly testing for the pain reliever since 2002 and adds that it has had a high compliance rate when it comes to Phenylbutazone.
