©Jonas Koel via Unsplash
At least 180 horses tested positive for doping in Italy between 2022 and 2025. That's the shocking figure that emerged from a cross-analysis of the databases of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Veterinary and Animal Welfare Service, carried out by Animal Equality. But it's not just the number that is cause for concern: around 10% of the equines concerned were still registered as DPA - destined for food production - at the start of 2026.
This discovery reopens the debate on food safety and traceability within the horsemeat industry. Anti-doping controls, in fact, are carried out on a sampling basis and often concern only competition animals, leaving a significant part of the sector off the radar. According to the organization, the data collected may represent an underestimate of the phenomenon.
Banned substances and delays in testing
The substances detected during testing are far from harmless. Reported cases include powerful anti-inflammatories such as phenylbutazone and flunixin, stimulants such as caffeine and even banned or illegal substances, including cocaine and dermorphine, a particularly potent opiate. Some horses testing positive for these compounds were not excluded from the food chain in good time.
The analysis also highlights delays in taking action. In some cases, horses testing positive for unauthorized substances were still listed as fit for slaughter years after the tests had been carried out. A horse testing positive for phenylbutazone in 2025, for example, would not have been withdrawn from the industry until March 2026.
The case reaches Parliament
These figures prompted MP Carmen Di Lauro to submit a parliamentary question to the Ministry of Health, seeking clarification of the shortcomings highlighted. This issue ties in with the bills already tabled in the Agriculture Committee, calling for a ban on the slaughter of equidae in Italy.
According to the information gathered, the control system also contains a number of grey areas and inconsistencies between the two systems.and inconsistencies between databases, particularly for horses born abroad. This complicates traceability and increases the risk of errors in the classification of animals intended for consumption.
Between food safety and animal welfare
Animal Equality points out that the horsemeat industry has structural shortcomings: limited controls, long transport times and irregular slaughter. The organization is calling for legislative intervention, backed by over 250,000 signatures on a petition to ban equine slaughter.
The issue is now moving into the political arena. Data on doped horses destined for the slaughterhouse is rekindling the debate on the transparency of controls and consumer protection, while Parliament is called upon to examine proposals already tabled to amend current legislation.
Source : Animal Equality Italia
(©GreenMe.it 2026/Managing editor: Julie Morgan - The Press Junction/Picture: Jonas Koel via Unsplash)