Today’s Inspiration: Another reason to consider a plant-based diet. – Did you know that some of meat we purchase has been treated with a “harmless” dose carbon-monoxide to make it look fresher. It give the meat a bright red color. This treatment was approved by the FDA in 2004. The worry is not only the carbon monoxide itself, but the fact that meat continues to look fresh long after it may have started to spoil fooling the consumer into buying a sub-standard product. I think that the worst thing about this, is that meat is not labeled to let you know if your meat has been treated with carbon-monoxide. We consumers don’t have a choice, unless we ask the meat department staff to disclose. Just another reason, why I’ve chosen to switch to a plant-based diet.
Here is some info from About.com/Chemistry
“Have you ever wondered why some meat starts looking brown after a few days in the meat case at the grocery store, while other meat stays fresh-looking longer? Some meat is packaged in an atmosphere high in carbon monoxide, as opposed to normal air. The carbon monoxide binds to the myoglobin (a protein) in the meat to cause it to look the pink color most of us associate with fresh meat. The chemical reaction that causes the color fixation doesn’t present a health hazard, but there are concerns about consumer safety because people buy meat according to how it looks. Meat that has been packaged in a carbon monoxide-rich atmosphere will continue to look pink past the point when it should be sold. Untreated meat gets darker in color as it stays on the shelf. Of course, there are other indicators of freshness. A slimy appearance is a giveaway of decay, as is bulging packaging from the gases produced by bacteria. If you could smell the meat, you’d know whether or not it’s good, too.”
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