The FDA has released the guidelines for distribution of HORSE MEAT into the human food chain. Slaughtering horses for food in the US is illegal. It seems that horses are given antibiotics and other meds that are harmful to humans. But, horse meat is a common food source in other parts of the world including:Canada, Germany, Mexico and Italy. According to a 2004 article by Dan Chase of www.backwoodshome.com "horse is ...really quite good". "It is slightly sweeter than other meats,... is leaner than beef,.. more protein...and more iron. Of course, when releasing the information, the FDA assured us that the HORSES they were regulating would be those targeted to be put down anyway: the sick and those that are neglected or unwanted. Gee, that really makes us feel good. Those horses are sick, so just feed the meat to the masses. The idea may be repulsive to most americans, but in some countries like Mexico eating Horse is common, so the export of AMERICAN processed Horse meat would mean jobs etc....and money for american farmers. So, expect the next wave of new licensing of meat processing to include DOG, and CAT. The republican governors could go to town on this one. Just turn all those stray pets over to the nearest slaughter houses. Human consumption of dog, could lead to the dismantling of all those animal shelters around the country. The state could become the collector of MEAT for processing and make a profit by selling the critters by the pound. Yummy, the future of the US meat packing industry: HORSE guaranteed not to be Secretariat OR Black Beauty. I looked on canned goods in my cabinets, and the labeling doesn't specify country of origin, it only says "distributed by...". So are we being set up?? If it is legal to slaughter horses for food in Canada and Mexico, do we really know what is in the CANNED MEAT products that are being imported?? Are we really going to feel safe, looking at the current BILKING OF american consumers by corporate america, that the food we are feeding our families is safe? I remember reading Upton Sinclair's book " The Jungle" about the Chicago stockyards which exposed the abuses of animals by meat packers and the fact that saw dust and rat particles were common ingredients in sausage. Some govt regulation is necessary for the common good, we cannot let the repuglican regressives take us backwards.