Horse Carcass from Netherlands Exceeds Cadmium Limit at 43 mg/kg (Max 1.0) and Mercury at 0.13 mg/kg (Max 0.02)

The EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) issued a border rejection/alert for a horse carcass originating from the Netherlands after sampling on 19 March 2026 detected cadmium at 43 mg/kg — 43 times the EU regulatory maximum of 1.0 mg/kg. Mercury was also identified at 0.13 mg/kg, exceeding the 0.02 mg/kg threshold. The product was distributed to other EU member countries. The Netherlands took the action of informing recipients, and Belgium subsequently reported an outcome of investigations.

Affected parties include producers, processors, distributors, and retailers handling horse meat products within the EU food supply chain. The significant exceedance levels — particularly cadmium at 43x the maximum — indicate potential systemic contamination sources that regulatory authorities may investigate further. Food business operators should review sourcing controls for horse meat and ensure suppliers provide heavy metal testing documentation. National competent authorities may increase sampling frequency for this product category.