Food Industry Defends Carbon Monoxide Use in Meat
U.S. lawmakers have begun to criticize the practice of adding carbon monoxide to meat in order to stabilize its color and keep it looking fresh longer.The process, they said, misleads consumers by making the products appear safer than they are, and puts people at risk of eating spoiled meat.Two of the United States’ largest meat processors, however, defended the packaging technique, maintaining that it is safe. Several food giants have said they support a warning label being added to meat that has been treated with carbon monoxide, or a label encouraging consumers to depend on the “use by” or “freeze by” date rather than the meat’s color to determine its safety.Officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Agriculture Department, who said they believe the carbon monoxide practice is safe, say the issue is not a public health priority.Consumer groups, meanwhile, have petitioned the FDA to withdraw its approval of sealed packaging that uses more carbon monoxide -- 0.4 percent -- than exists in air, saying the practice makes it difficult for consumers to gauge product safety.
Sources: Reuters Nov. 14, 2007 and Mercola.com
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