Horse meat has been sold as minced beef or lamb in Australia, documents show

Horse meat has been sold as minced beef or lamb in Australia, according to newly disclosed government documents. These findings emerged from a major investigative effort led by New South Wales Greens politician Abigail Boyd, who used parliamentary powers to obtain thousands of internal records from the NSW Food Authority. The documents, obtained under Standing Order 52 passed by the state’s upper house in May, reveal alarming lapses in food safety oversight. While some of the files have been made public, the government maintains claims of privilege over others, restricting their release. Abigail Boyd, who has been granted access to these restricted files, has expressed shock at the contents, warning that consumers may have unknowingly ingested horse meat, mouse fur, metal shavings, or even needles in their food. Boyd described the findings as a breach of public trust in Australia’s food safety systems. She noted that several incidents highlighted systemic failures, such as food items containing foreign substances or failing to meet dietary restrictions. One instance involved products labeled as dairy-free that were not actually free of dairy, only discovered after someone became ill. Another case revealed the presence of needles in food, raising serious concerns about contamination risks. Boyd emphasized that while the public is generally assured of food safety, these revelations suggest that such assurances may be unfounded. “You could be eating a minced horse when you think you’re eating your mince,” she stated, underscoring the potential danger faced by everyday consumers. The documents, partially reviewed by the investigative team behind the Four Corners program, detail numerous food safety violations across hundreds of businesses between 2022 and 2026. These include aged care homes, hospitals, and catering companies, all of which were issued improvement notices for issues ranging from poor hygiene to failure to report dangerous bacteria. The most frequent corrective measure was an improvement notice, requiring businesses to address identified problems within a specific timeframe. Initially costing $330, the fine for such notices rose to $565 late last year. Over 100 businesses received multiple notices due to repeated breaches, highlighting persistent compliance issues. Despite regulating 14,500 licensed food businesses, the NSW Food Authority has not revoked a single license over seven years, despite overseeing high-risk operations such as meat and dairy processing. One notable case involves Cater Care, a catering company supplying 10 million meals annually to the health and aged care sectors. Between 2023 and 2026, the company received nine improvement notices for recurring violations, including poor hygiene, incomplete safety records, and improper labeling. Boyd criticized the lack of accountability, stating that such a large organization feeding millions of people should be held to stricter standards. She argued that the current regulatory framework fails to protect vulnerable populations, including the elderly and children, from preventable harm. Separately, concerns have arisen regarding the social media activity of a publicly funded youth rehabilitation provider in Queensland. During parliamentary budget estimates, Labor representative Di Farmer questioned whether the Yabun Panjoo Aboriginal Corporation, which operates under a $50 million regional reset program, was appropriately managing its online presence. The corporation, which serves at-risk youth in Townsville and Mount Isa, was found to follow twelve individuals on its Facebook page, most of whom were adult content creators, including OnlyFans profiles. Farmer raised concerns about the appropriateness of taxpayer-funded organizations engaging with such content when working with minors. However, she later withdrew her question, leaving the issue unresolved. Meanwhile, Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber defended the government’s youth rehabilitation initiatives, asserting that providers were fulfilling their roles in helping at-risk youth avoid criminal paths. She acknowledged that the Yabun Panjoo Aboriginal Corporation was subject to the department’s social media code of conduct, though no direct comments were provided by the corporation’s director, David Boye. The Department of Youth Justice confirmed that it regularly monitors all contracted service providers, emphasizing ongoing oversight of 61 organizations delivering over 105 services. The debate over the effectiveness and integrity of these programs continues, with further hearings scheduled for next week.