Gang sold tons of horse disguised as beef and put rotting meat in hamburgers, Brazilian officials say
CNN
A gang of six people accused of stealing horses for slaughter and selling the meat to restaurants disguised as beef has been arrested in southern Brazil, according to officials.
A statement from the Public Ministry of Rio Grande do Sul (MPRS) on Thursday said the gang distributed more than 800 kilograms (1,763 pounds) of hidden horse meat per week to restaurants in the Caxias do Sul region. Up to 60% of restaurants in the area with beef on the menu had unwittingly bought horse meat from the gang disguised in steaks and hamburgers, public health officials said.
Inspectors also discovered other forms of spoiled meat -- including rotting pork, turkey and leftover food from pig-feeding establishments -- were mixed inside the hamburgers, according to the statement.