Let them eat horse, say French officials

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Ready-made meals, withdrawn from shops because they contain horsemeat, could be given to charities to feed the poor, French government ministers have said.

Officials insist that as there is no health risk from the dishes and that their were withdrawn because of mislabelling they can be donated. Stéphane Le Foll, France's agriculture minister said, however, it was for charities to decide if they wanted the controversial meals. "From its side the government can only say that as far as health is concerned, it's fine. It's not for me to decide what should be done with it," Le Foll said. His junior minister Benoît Hamon added: "It's up to the associations to decide under what conditions they may wish to take these dishes. Those who don't want them won't take them." One of France's leading charities, Secours Catholique said the question of giving the withdrawn meals to the poor posed a "serious ethical problem" and it would refuse."If it's not good for the ordinary consumer, why should it be for the poor," Bernard Schricke, a charity director, said. "When people come to us for help with food, we often give them vouchers so they can choose what they want to eat because choice is not a luxury but a right. Also we shouldn't forget that the problem is not just access to enough food, but access to enough resources to live." In a statement, the Agriculture ministry suggested the dishes could even find their way back on sale if they were relabelled to clearly state that they contain horsemeat.