Statement from Chief Medical Officer on Bute in horsemeat

Source: Department of Health (DH) Area: News The Chief Medical Officer has issued the following statement on horsemeat containing phenylbutazone (Bute), stressing that it presents a very low risk to human health:   "At the levels of bute that have been found, a person would have to eat 500 to 600 burgers a day that are 100% horse meat to get close to consuming a human's daily dose. And it passes through the system fairly quickly, so it is unlikely to build up in our bodies. In patients who have been taking phenylbutazone as a medicine there can be serious side effects but these are rare. It is extremely unlikely that anyone who has eaten horse meat containing Bute will experience one of these side effects."
Source: NeLM - News - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news