STOP HUMAN CONSUMPTION OF HORSE MEAT IN AUSTRALIA
- by: Debbie Barber
- recipient: South Australia Food Standards Development.South Australia Health.South Australia Minister of Health;The Honourable Jack Snelling.South Australian Premier;The Honourable Jay Weatherill.South Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
PLEASE SAY NO TO BRUMBY/WILD HORSE ON THE AUSTRALIAN MENU.
With this petition, we demand the following-
* Stop the amendment to the 'Game meat definition’ in South Australia allowing for the sale of Brumby/Wild horse meat for human consumption in South Australia.
* Provide Standards/Codes making Brumby/Wild horse meat illegal for human consumption in Australia.
* Remove Brumby/Wild horse meat for human consumption from the definition of 'Game meat' in all States and National Standards/Codes.
The government of South Australia, South Australia Health, have produced a draft Standard Code allowing for the sale and human consumption of Brumby/wild horse meat in their State.
Submissions on this draft close on 24th February 2017.
Some States have already adopted a change of definition in their 'Game Meat' definition allowing for the sale of Brumby/wild horse meat for human consumption.
This definition allows Brumbies/wild horses in their wild state to be shot/slaughtered, and processed on the spot by licensed, accredited people.
The slaughter industry has accredited game meat field harvesting vans that can process slaughtered animals.
Game meat field harvesting van means a vehicle in which unflayed carcasses of game animals intended for human consumption are conveyed from the point of harvest to a game meat field depot. (Food Regulation 2015 [NSW] Part 9 Meat food safety scheme).
Human consumption of horse meat in Australia would be a massive step backwards of our animal welfare process.
There is no positive reason for slaughtering and processing Brumbies/wild horses for human consumption when a number of humane alternatives via fertility control are already available eg. Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP), Multi Year, Single Shot PZP vaccine (Spay Vac and Polymer pellets).
Legalising the sale of Brumby/wild horse meat for human consumption will be in conflict with commencing humane herd control measures as the more profitable solution to Government departments would be Brumby/wild horse slaughter.
Force the Government to produce a redraft of this Code by signing the petition.
STOP the South Australian Government amending their Game definition to include horse meat.
STOP the Government from allowing human consumption of horse meat in Australia.
FORCE the Government to amend all documents stating the human consumption of Brumby/wild horse meat is permitted in Australia.
The South Australian draft Food Standards Codes below show the current game meat definition and the proposed new game meat definition.
If this draft is accepted Brumby/wild horses will be available for human consumption in South Australia by the end of year 2017.
CURRENT DEFINITION OF CODE - Goat, rabbit, hare, kangaroo, wallaby or bird that has not been confined or husbanded in any way. Meat is defined as the flesh of an animal.
PROPOSED NEW DEFINITION OF CODE (Standard 1.6.2; Section 7 - The whole or part of the carcass of any bird, buffalo, camel, deer, donkey, goat, hare, horse, kangaroo, rabbit, pig, possum or wallaby that has been slaughtered in the wild state, but does not include avian eggs, foetuses, parts of foetuses or pouch young.
The new code relating to meat will read as below- 14—Specific provision relating to meat (1) Pursuant to section 113(2)(b) of the Act, a person must not sell for human consumption the meat of an animal that is not referred to in the definition of meat in the Food Standards Code.
This means all the animals listed above, including foals, will be included in this Code and can be sold for human consumption.
Please fight against this.
Please sign and complete petition, share everywhere to stop horse meat being available for human consumption in our country.
Force the Government to do the right thing.
DEBBIE BARBER
The government of South Australia, South Australia Health, have produced a draft Standard Code altering the definition of 'Game Meat' which would allow the sale for human consumption of Brumby/wild horse meat.
While researching this we were informed other states had introduced these changes with little provision for public assessment and consultation.
South Australia's draft for consideration-
CURRENT DEFINITION OF CODE - Goat, rabbit, hare, kangaroo, wallaby or bird that has not been confined or husbanded in any way.
Meat is defined as the flesh of an animal.
PROPOSED NEW DEFINITION OF CODE (Standard 1.6.2; Section 7 - The whole or part of the carcass of any bird, buffalo, camel, deer, donkey, goat, hare, horse, kangaroo, rabbit, pig, possum or wallaby that has been slaughtered in the wild state, but does not include avian eggs, foetuses, parts of foetuses or pouch young.
We vehemently disapprove this amendment and request Brumby/wild horse meat for human consumption in Australia be considered prohibited and stated so in any document/regulations/codes/guidelines/permits in Australia.
We request amendments to all documents stating horse meat is a legally consumable product in Australia.
Brumby/wild horse populations can be controlled via a variety of contraceptive avenues, a more humane method than slaughtering and placing them on Australian menus.
Is Australia going to extinguish any positive image of humane treatment of horses in this country by placing horse meat on our menus?
This amendment to the Food Standards Code is not in the best interest of our country and will prove the government would prefer to procure money through inhumane methods rather than apply positive proactive humane management.
Consider this amendment seriously and request a redraft removing horse meat from becoming a legally human consumable meat in this country.
Through history these animals carried our men to war, they are a part of Australia's history and not just a product.
The horse, more than any other animal has enabled Australia to be the great country that it is.
We will continue to fight this worldwide on every level until the Government and agencies understand horse is not just a commodity, it is a sentient animal that deserves humane treatment and consideration and should NOT end up served at Australian tables for human consumption or sold as such.
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