Meat Industry Making Old Meat Look New with Carbon Monoxide Trick
Shoppers deceived. Disgusting fraud.
Shoppers who judge the freshness of meat by its color may be deceived by a relatively new industry practice of treating meat with carbon monoxide, critics say.
The meat industry defends the use of carbon monoxide to help meat retain its pink hue, saying large sums of money are wasted when sellers throw away meat that is still safe to eat but is not as attractive because it is slightly brown.
Carbon monoxide-treated meat could be left on the kitchen counter for five days and would still look bright red and fresh. Carbon monoxide “also suppresses bad odors and the presence of slime, other telltale signs that meat is spoiled…”
Since 2002, the FDA has allowed three meat producing or packaging firms to use carbon monoxide under a process known as “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS. Under GRAS notifications, the FDA conducts no research on its own, instead relying on the notifier’s documents confirming the safety of the product.
If you’re new to questioning the Establishment, read Upton Sinclair’s original tale of meat-packing horrors, “The Jungle”. This novel brought worldwide recognition to the United States for investigative journalism.
Posted: Wed - February 22, 2006 at 05:59 AM