Horse Meat from Mexico Banned in the EU

The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union (EU), has conditionally banned horse meat imported from Mexico due to food safety concerns. The ban took effect on January 15, 2015.

The Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission audited Mexican authorities in 2012 and again in 2014 to determine if they took adequate measures to guarantee public health and safety when exporting horse meat to the EU. The audits uncovered several problems with the export process that could compromise the safety of the meat.