Egypt government seizes donkey meat before distribution to restaurants to be sold as beef

Egypt’s Animal Health Research Institute has issued a report on seizing large quantities of donkeys’ meat before their distribution as beef to restaurants in the Giza governorate. Accorded to the report, which was well-received by the Veterinary Services authority, all examined samples were proven to be of donkey meat.

According to Almesryoon, the report revealed that all samples taken from fat, liver and grounded and chopped meat were proven to be of donkey meat.

The Ministry of Agriculture has confiscated more than 600 kilograms of donkey meat and meat products, which a vendor had intended to distribute to restaurants as beef.

Egyptian authorities discovered seven tons of donkey meat declared unfit for human consumption on Friday https://t.co/d7JK7CKNhH

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) January 7, 2017

A state of extreme alert has been prevailing at the Ministry of Agriculture’s General Authority for Veterinary Services, especially after they ministry learnt that more amounts of donkey meat had already reached restaurants.

Prosecutors are already questioning suspects.

Dr Osama Selim, the head of the General Authority for Veterinary Services, told Almesryoon that the authority is exerting significant effort to monitor the markets, pointing out that what the authority is doing is not new, but it rather takes standard measures to monitor the market on a regular basis.

Selim added that distributing donkey meat to restaurants as beef will not be easy, as the Veterinary Services Authority is running inspection campaigns from time to time, which resulted in the discovery of the donkey meat before it could reach restaurants.

Dr Lutfi Shawar, a veterinarian expert, described the report issued by the Animal Health Research Institute as “shocking,” and he called for the swift prosecution of those involved in the distribution of donkey meat.

He told Almesryoon that the report includes confirmed information proving that the seized meat is from the equines family. He pointed to the fact that the meat was discovered before it reached the market, saying that is an important matter, and he called for finding and seizing what may have already been distributed to restaurants.

“Information indicates that the meat has already reached very famous restaurants.”