In any case, in 2011, Congress again made it possible to slaughter horses in the U.S. — at least in theory. Such facilities need to be approved and inspected by the U.S.D.A., and that has yet to happen. The U.S.D.A. says two processing facilities — one in New Mexico and another in Missouri — have applied for a grant of inspection from the department. The New York Times reported Thursday that the proposed plant in New Mexico, owned by Valley Meat Company, may be approved to open within the next two months. Sequestration, however, may cut into the U.S.D.A.’s food safety budget, delaying these inspections indefinitely. Even if the funding is available, however, the U.S.D.A. would face the fresh challenge of testing for a host of new drugs, including anti-inflammatory medications that make horse meat unfit for human consumption
The question remains, however: Would Americans ever again be interested in eating horse meat? Duquette claims domestic demand does exist. ”We’ve been contacted by so many people that want horse meat as soon as it’s available,” says Duquette. “I think there’s a small group of people that might be outraged. But there’s plenty of demand, and plenty of demand overseas.”
It’s true that a number of European countries eat horse meat regularly and would likely buy American exports of the product. But a recent poll commissioned by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found that 80% of Americans oppose the slaughter of horses for human consumption.
Read more: http://business.time.com/2013/03/01/legal-or-not-will-americans-ever-buy-horse-meat/#ixzz2MKSmU8ap