It now appears that more than 10 million 'beef' burgers have been removed from supermarket shelves in England and Wales following the discovery, in Irish laboratories, that many of the 'economy' products contained detectable traces (up to almost 30% in one case) of horse or pig protein (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/jan/18/horse-meat-burgers-shock-consumers-video). Among the worrying aspects of this story are the claims that the 'inappropriate DNA' may have made its way into these foods by the addition of 'grind' (powered material obtained from boiling and grinding skins) used to booster protein content/ water retention, perhaps imported ultimately from untested South American sources; the fact that, in response to commercial pressures, the UK seems to be scaling down its own testing of products from abattoirs and claims that attempts by some supermarkets to drive down prices, result in some manufacturers using inappropriate (illegal?) routes to generate any kind of profit. The waste involved in junking 10 million burgers is also an issue, given the recent revelations about uneaten food in this country.
This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
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