Cosmetic Surgery for Meat?
It seems that our meat is getting a botox treatment of sorts, and turning back the clock on aging. But would you want to eat meat that looks like it’s three days old, when in fact it might be five weeks old? How about two YEARS old?
At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, meat producers, government officials, and consumer groups––including Food & Water Watch––testified in front of a panel examining the process of treating meat and fish with carbon monoxide (CO) that makes products look fresher than they really are. Congressman Stupak even brought in ground beef that was two years old, treated with carbon monoxide, and still as red as the day it was processed.
But, unlike good, old-fashioned meat not treated with carbon monoxide that begins to naturally turn brown after approximately 10 to 12 days, carbon monoxide-treated meat artificially retains its red color and masks spoilage even when improperly stored for weeks at a time. (Eeeewh.) Turns out that it’s all about convincing shoppers to judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a food by its color.
But consumers are able to tell the difference… right?
Think again. According to a poll conducted in 2006, 63% of adults believed that “the freshness of meat is directly related to the color of the meat.” Even worse, CO-treated meat is not required to be labeled.
At least some supermarket chains such as Giant Foods, Stop & Shop, and Safeway have announced they will voluntarily stop carrying CO-treated meat products. Tyson Foods, the largest protein processor in the country, has also announced they will stop using carbon monoxide in its packaging systems. Hopefully, others will soon follow.
For now, if your meat smells bad and looks slimey… better toss it.
Better yet, contact your Member of Congress, and tell them to support H.R. 3115, which would require all meat, poultry and seafood products treated with CO to carry a safety notice informing consumers that the product has been treated and its freshness should not be judged by its color.
