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Carbon monoxide may mask bad meat, critics say

Keeping meat red with carbon monoxide cuts waste, industry says

 

Tuesday, February 21, 2006; Posted: 9:29 p.m. EST (02:29 GMT)

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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.

 

" Color is the number one indicator that's used " in selecting meat, said

Don Berdahl, vice president of Kalsec Inc., a maker of natural food

extracts in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In November, Kalsec filed a petition

with the Food and Drug Administration seeking a ban on the use of

carbon monoxide in meat packaging.

 

Berdahl said Tuesday that 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, " Kalsec's petition

said.

 

The petition said treated meat could hide the growth of pathogens such

as Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella and E. coli.

 

Berdahl acknowledged that his company has a business interest in

protesting the practice. But consumer groups, while agreeing that

carbon monoxide in itself is not a health risk, are concerned that meat

buyers will focus on the color and ignore expiration dates and other

signs that meat is no longer edible.

 

" Carbon monoxide masks the natural coloration of meat by reacting with

myoglobin in the meat and producing a bright red color, " the Consumer

Federation of America and the group Safe Tables Our Priority wrote last

month in asking the FDA to reverse its acceptance of the practice. The

artificial color, they said, " has been found to last beyond the time of

spoilage, thus masking the true color and freshness of meat packaged

with carbon monoxide. "

 

The Kalsec petition also argued that the FDA does not have the legal

authority to permit the use of carbon monoxide in fresh meat packaging

because it is an unapproved and prohibited color additive.

 

Carbon monoxide is used in some " case-ready " meats, products put in

leak-proof, tamperproof, hermetically sealed packages before being

shipped to the local butcher or supermarket. Up to 60 percent of meat

sold is now case-ready, according to industry estimates, but a

relatively small amount of that is carbon monoxide-treated, said Dr.

Randall Huffman, vice president for scientific affairs at the American

Meat Institute.

 

In most cases, he said, case-ready meat is treated with a high level of

oxygen, which causes the meat to turn red but also leads to

deterioration of color, quality and flavor. The carbon monoxide

technology eliminates the oxygen, preventing degradations in quality,

he said.

 

 

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