Horse in 10 per cent of Mexico's meat

A study in Mexico has found horse DNA in almost 10 per cent of the ground beef and meat dishes served or sold in public markets, butcher shops, street stalls and taco stands in five Mexican cities.

Researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Mexico's National Autonomous University analysed 433 samples of steak, ground beef and prepared meat dishes from businesses.

The highest percentage of horse DNA was found in ground beef sold at stalls, street markets or food stands, although less than one per cent of vendors acknowledged selling horse meat.

Horse DNA was not found in supermarket meat.

Mexico's sanitary risks commission issued guidelines Friday telling consumers to closely check labels, but it appears that much of the meat in the study was sold without a description.