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Local Residents React To Exporting Of Horse Meat

By Mike Dougherty

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - On Friday, The USDA gave a slaughter house in New Mexico permission to begin exporting horse meat, but it's still illegal to sell as food in the US.

KYW Newsradio visited the Italian Market in South Philadelphia to see if anyone hopes to see horse meat in their favorite butcher shop in the future

Wild boar, rabbit, alligator, even kangaroo meat is sold at some of the shops along 9th Street. But you probably won't find horse meat here anytime soon, even if it were legal to sell for human consumption in America.

"We would not carry at the present time because there's no demand for it. And I think, having horses in the family, it's not something we like to do here," says Harry Crimi at Cappuccio's Meats.

He would be concerned about public backlash because many people feel a strong connection with horses.

"And they may in fact do damage to the property or boycott the business," he says.

Jimmy, on the other hand, is open-minded.

"Oh sure, I'll try it one time. Why not? It's meat at the end of the day," he says.

In Japan, horse is served raw, sashimi style and even in ice cream.

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