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| The Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2006 #8 |
| Meat Packaging Threatens Consumers’ Health |
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The Scare: “Meat Industry Quietly Begins Spiking Meat Packages with Carbon Monoxide.” (49) Headlines such as this imply that something nefarious is going on—something that “industry” is trying to hide. Not true. Beef has been a staple in the American diet since the 1860s, when the cattle industry expanded into the Wild West. According to the USDA, Americans today consume around 64 pounds of beef every year. Since most Americans no longer raise their own cattle, we rely on farms and feedlots to provide us with this meat, and on their adherence to regulations to keep it safe for us to consume. (50)
Beef can be packaged either in the butcher section of your grocery store or at a centralized industrial facility that provides stores with “case-ready” packaged products. The differences between these processes affect the shelf-life and appearance of the meat and its packaging. Butchers use in-store meat cutters to prepare cuts of meat, which they then package in a Styrofoam tray covered with a clear plastic film. This film does not seal the package; it allows oxygen to move in, a process necessary for beef to develop the deep red color consumers recognize. This red color lasts only as long as four days before the beef will naturally turn brown. However, the color change is unavoidable in these packaging conditions and the meat is safe for another few days with refrigeration. (51)
When cuts of beef are prepared industrially, the meat is actually sealed within its packaging before it is shipped. In order to maintain freshness, “modified atmosphere packaging” (MAP) is often used. High oxygen atmospheres will turn beef the color red familiar to customers, but this system also accelerates the rate at which the beef turns brown. Low oxygen atmospheres do not allow the beef to achieve its characteristic bright red color, but the meat does not turn brown as quickly on the shelf. (52) In 2001, the FDA approved a MAP technology utilizing carbon monoxide (CO) as GRAS (generally recognized as safe). This atmosphere contains oxygen as well as up to 0.4% CO and allows the beef to turn red as well as maintain a desirable color while on the shelf. This extends the shelf life of the beef because consumers generally do not purchase brown meat even though it is still fresh, a practice that costs the beef industry over one million dollars each year. (53)
Origin of the Scare: In November 2005, Kalsec, Inc., a Michigan-based producer of food extracts, submitted a Citizen Petition requesting that the FDA enforce a ban on carbon monoxide use in fresh meat packaging and terminate the GRAS status granted several years earlier. They requested this ban “to prevent serious food safety harms to the public and preserve consumer confidence in the safely and integrity of the U.S. meat supply.” They claim that the maintenance of a bright red color is deceiving to customers who will not be able to distinguish between fresh meat and spoiled meat. (54)
Media Coverage: On February 20, 2006, the Washington Post published an article entitled “FDA Is Urged to Ban Carbon-Monoxide-Treated Meat.” Author Rick Weiss claimed that the meat industry “has quietly begun to spike meat packages with carbon monoxide” in order to give meat “a bright pink color that lasts weeks.” Weiss quoted both Kalsec and several consumer advocacy groups who spoke out against the technology. They made claims that the FDA is deceiving customers into buying modified foods that they would otherwise pass up, thus potentially endangering anyone who might consume the meat. The article mentions briefly that Kalsec, Inc, has an economic interest in this debate because they produce extracts to use in high-oxygen MAP that prevent the meat from turning brown. The adoption of carbon monoxide MAP technology is a threat to this segment of their extract business. (55)
The following day, newspapers around the country printed articles similar to the one published in the Post, and “carbon monoxide spiked meat” made it onto television news programs as well. ABC’s Good Morning America featured a segment entitled “Is Your Meat Safe to Eat?” in which they called carbon monoxide MAP technology a “secret science” being used to trick consumers into buying meat that may not be fresh. However, the segment and other news programs did provide viewers with tips stating that in spite of the red color, rancid meat will be easily distinguishable from fresh meat by bulging packages, an altered texture, a foul smell, and a noticeable sliminess. Consumers were also advised to pay attention to the sell-by dates posted on packages of meat. (56)
The Bottom Line: The scare surrounding the use of carbon monoxide in meat packaging is based on unscientific claims made by Kalsec, Inc. MAP technology has been in use for over 20 years by the meat industry, and carbon monoxide MAP technology has been used for over four years. During this time there have been virtually no complaints from consumers who believed they were deceived into purchasing products that appeared fresh yet were in fact rancid. The American Meat Institute submitted a letter to the FDA in response to Kalsec’s petition on the day after the Post article ran. They accused Kalsec of initiating a “public relations campaign to create unnecessary confusion within the industry and inappropriately affect consumer confidence in meat products” and claimed that their “assertion is unfounded on both legal and factual grounds.” (57) The FDA still considers this technology GRAS and has not rescinded the status.
According to the USDA there are four potentially harmful organisms commonly associated with beef: E. Coli (strain O157:H7), Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. All of these organisms can be contained with sanitary handling techniques and destroyed with proper cooking techniques. (58) The use of carbon monoxide in MAP does not extend the shelf-life of packaged meat and therefore does not make it more likely that consumers will purchase a product that is contaminated. Carbon monoxide is used only as a “color stabilizer” and has no effect on the growth of bacteria on meat. Consumers are advised to always adhere to “sell-by” and “use-by” dates provided on meat packages, which will minimize the potential exposure to harmful bacteria. (59)
For more information please see our special report The Role of Beef in the American Diet.
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| Table of Contents |
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Introduction
1. Trans Fatty Acids Cause Obesity and Heart Disease
2. Benzene in Soft Drinks Cause Cancer
3. High Fructose Corn Syrup Causes Obesity
4. Tuna Has Unsafe Mercury Levels
5. Nitrosamines in Bacon Cause Bladder Cancer
6. Teflon Contains a Cancer-Causing Chemical (PFOA)
7. Grilled Chicken: Another Cancer Risk?
8. Meat Packaging Threatens Consumers’ Health
9. Consumers Should Fear Chemicals in Cosmetics
10. Hormone Replacement Therapy Fears and Hype About “Natural” Alternatives
References
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| Published: December 2006 |
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| Paperback |
| ISBN: N/A |
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