Rains Natural Meats, a Missouri-based “family operation” has plans to begin slaughtering horses in a humane fashion, according to a report by Asbury Park Press. David Rains, vice president of the plant, which formerly processed antibiotic- and hormone0free beef and pork, said that he has been working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to modify all equipment so it can “humanely handle horses.”
The new equipment would eliminate the captive-bolt gun, relying instead on a .410 shotgun. Rains also says he will test every horse at the University of Missouri’s veterinary diagnostic lab to prevent the release of unsafe drugs into the human or animal food chains.
Government officials say Rains Natural meats is on the verge of getting a Food Safety Inspection Service permit, which would allow it to begin operations.
Rains reported that he’s already had considerable foreign and domestic interest in the meat, both for human and animal consumption.
He refers to horse meat as “an extremely high quality protein source that’s been used in other countries for a long, long time. It’s a waste not to use it.”
Read more at Asbury Park Press
