Bute detected in European meat products
Chilled horse meat and frozen beef burgers and meatballs have been found to contain phenylbutazone, according to the EU's RASFF portal.
Phenylbutazone residues of veterinary medicinal products of 10.5µg/kg parts per billion (ppb) and oxyphenylbutazone residues of 46.8µg/kg ppb were found in correctly labelled chilled horse meat from Poland and for sale in the Czech Republic.
In a seperate incident, frozen beef burgers and meatballs originating in Portugal, with raw material from the Netherlands and Spain were found with phenylbutazone residues of 11; 2µg/kg - ppb for distribution in Portugal.
Phenylbutazone, also known as "bute," is a painkiller banned in any horse meat intended for human consumption despite debates around the level of the substance needed to cause ill-effects.