Microchip reveals racehorse served as food: report

A microchip found in a meal in southern Türkiye revealed that the meat came from a former racehorse, prompting authorities to fine the owner, local media reported.

The discovery came to light after a diner at a soup kitchen in the Mediterranean city of Mersin detected a foreign object in food served at the municipal soup kitchen.

According to the private Demirören news agency, tests carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture determined that the object was an electronic identification chip belonging to Smart Latch, a four-year-old British racehorse competing at the hippodrome in neighboring Adana province.

Demirören said laboratory tests later confirmed that the meal contained horse meat from the same animal.

Authorities fined the horse’s owner, businessman Suat Topçu, 132,108 Turkish lira ($4,300) for failing to officially report that the injured horse was transferred after its racing career ended.

Topçu said that he withdrew the animal from the race after the last race in October due to his leg injury and donated it to a riding club in neighboring Osmaniye.

Topçu told Demirören that he was “devastated” when he learned of the incident after being contacted by the authorities.

It is not yet known how and when the animal was slaughtered.