The safety of using carbon monoxide when packaging meat was debated in Congress on Tuesday. Meat producers began treating meat with the gas in 2004 to maintain its red color, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use.
The Cattlenetwork argues that the practice is both safe and widely accepted by consumers. It also contends that without carbon treatment, meat would turn brown and lose its fresh flavor. On the other side of the issue are consumer advocates, who argue that the practice isn't safe. Food and Water Watch says on its website that use of the gas makes it difficult for consumers to determine how fresh the meat is, since it is constantly red. The group argues that the gas masks spoilage even after the meat has been improperly kept on shelves past sell dates. It wants meat treated with carbon to be labeled as such, or not sold at all. Tyson Foods, Giant Foods, Stop & Shop, and Safeway have all agreed to stop using the gas when packaging meat, according to the consumer advocacy group. Target Corp., Hormel Foods Corp and Cargill Inc announced they plan to add lables indicating when meat is treated with carbon.
Hormel Foods CEO Jeffrey Ettinger told lawmakers that Hormel has had 48 customers complain about bad taste or ordor, out of 23 million packages of meat treated with the gas. He said that number was very low. Ettinger and the CEO of Cargill Inc both said that they had identified zero instances of illnesses associated with the meat packaging practice.
Website that inspired this post: The Consumerist
2 comments:
I like how you explain both sides of the issue, those that say the practice is safe and others that argue against it. Great information about which stores agreed to stop using the gas to package its meat. I wonder if more stores will do the same in the future.
Post a Comment