BU’s Sean Beer, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Tourism, spoke to BBC Radio Solent and the Bournemouth Echo on the horse meat in burgers scandal.

Sean originally commented on Facebook, saying, “I suppose that what surprises me about the revelation that horse DNA has been found in burgers in the UK is that people are surprised. But them most people don’t know anything about the food they consume and care [even] less.”

After appearing on Facebook, Sean was asked to give further comment to various media outlets, starting with the Bournemouth Echo and finishing with an appearance on Steve Harris’ Drive show on BBC Radio Solent. In the Echo, Sean was quoted as saying, “I’m sympathetic to the fact that people feel that they have been betrayed, but when we pay so little for our food, what do we expect? If we buy cheaper and cheaper things, then something has to give.”

Speaking to Steve Harris on Radio Solent, Sean said, “It obviously affects the British people more because of their love for horses but people do eat horse all round the world.”

Sean continued, “If I walk up to you on the street and asked to put my fingers in your mouth you would call the police… But we fill our mouths with all sorts of other things and do not question where they come from.”

Sean concurred with Prime Minister David Cameron’s comments that we should take the issue of food more seriously and questions where our food comes from more, stating that he would welcome more investigation into this industry.

To hear Sean’s interview with Steve Harris in full you can listen to the programme again.

Alternatively you can read the Echo Article where Sean is quoted.

Finally, Sean’s original comments can still be found on our Facebook page.

Dr Heather Hartwell, Associate Professor in food services and applied nutrition at Bournemouth University, was quoted in a news item on radio station Wave 105 looking at global food wastage.

An Institute of Mechanical Engineering study found that almost half of all food produced, amounting to billions of pounds, was being wasted each year due to poor storage and over purchasing.

Dr Hartwell, an expert in food studies, spoke in a recorded excerpt reproduced throughout the day to give her views on the news story.

Heather mentioned that the statistics may not be as accurate as we are led to believe as they could include items such as ‘chicken bones and potato peelings’ that are not widely eaten anyway.

Heather’s advice may also help to stop food wastage in future as she said, “People need to sit down on a Sunday and write a shopping list and stick to it and not be tempted by 2–for–1 offers so they don’t have to throw anything away.”