I’ve been watching the European horse meat scandal with one eye because, well, it was happening in Europe and didn’t seem like it would really affect me.

That is until I saw that international retailing giant IKEA said it’s pulling its meatballs from stores in 14 countries because a Czech Republic store found horse meat in the product.

IKEA says it tested its meatballs two weeks ago and didn’t find any horse DNA. Regardless, they decided to pull the meatballs from stores in the Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovakia, Hungary, France, Britain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Ireland.

The United States is not on the list, so I have to believe that means the meatballs sold here are horse meat free. Or should I say, I want to believe it. The U.S. doesn’t allow horses to be slaughtered for human consumption and we don’t import beef from any of the companies involved in the overseas scandal.

But still, I’ve had those IKEA meatballs before. They are good. Really good.

The rational side of me knows that horse meat isn’t bad for you. And I know this argument is about truth in labeling and packaging… if it says beef it better be from a cow. But for me, it’s just the idea of eating a horse. Kind of like the idea of eating a dog… or a cat.

But then again, I eat beef, which I’m sure would repulse those who practice the Hindu religion and abstain from eating cows.

It’s all a matter of taste… and what your culture finds acceptable and “normal.” What do you think?