Carbon monoxide – it’s what’s for dinner.
It’s also a slogan that will never be embraced by a beef industry blitzed by consumer groups for injecting carbon monoxide, the toxic gas found in tailpipe exhaust, into meat packages.
The carbon monoxide, which the Food and Drug Administration says is harmless at the levels being used, keeps the meat looking red for weeks by replacing the oxygen that would otherwise turn it the color of an old leather shoe.
“The problem is that carbon monoxide masks spoilage,” said Chris Waldrop, deputy director of the Consumer Federation of America’s Food Policy Institute. “It makes the meat appear bright red and fresh, and the consumer can’t tell whether they’re buying spoiled meat.
“It’s deception, plain and simple.”
Meat-industry executives say what’s more troub ling is their critics’ hysterical pitch over something that’s safe and government-approved.
They say other gases – such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen – have been used in packaging for bag salads, shredded cheeses and pasta for decades with little fanfare.
“In the last two weeks, we’ve seen a number of retailers backing off selling products in this kind of packaging,” said Rex Moore, president of Denver- based Maverick Ranch Natural Meats.
“It will end up costing retailers a lot of money, which will in turn raise food prices,” he said.
The FDA approved use of the process for meat in 2004, but controversy didn’t erupt until late last year, when Kalsec Inc., a Michigan company that produces a natural food extract to slow discoloration, filed a petition asking the agency to reverse the decision.
“Kalsec clearly has a vested interest in all of this,” said Davey Griffin, an associate professor of meat science at Texas A&M University. “For both sides, the stakes are high.”
Industry-funded studies estimate that retailers lose up to $1 billion each year because shoppers won’t buy meat that isn’t rosy red – even if it’s safe to consume.
Carbon monoxide is being used in what the meat industry calls “case-ready” meat bought from processing plants pre-cut.
In 2000, retailers sold an estimated 1.2 billion packages of case-ready meat. They see the potential to sell a lot more in coming years, according to the American Meat Institute.
Part of that market growth, producers say, comes from “big box” retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. now selling groceries.
Case-ready meat is typically sold in what are called “modified-atmosphere packages.” In those packages, there is a space between the meat on the tray and the package top. A mixture of gases, including carbon monoxide, fills the space.
“The big giveaway, of course, is that you’ve got a piece of meat that’s nearing its expiration date and it’s still bright red,” the Consumer Federation’s Waldrop said.
King Soopers’ parent company, Kroger Co., as well as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods Market say they do not carry meat products in Colorado that are packaged with carbon monoxide.
Safeway Stores did not return phone calls, while Target issued a statement not directly answering the question.
“Meat packaged in this manner is manufactured in USDA-inspected facilities and offers additional benefits, such as tamper- evident, leak-proof seals,” the Target statement read. “Target has high food-quality standards, and we follow all regulations and requirements as outlined by the FDA, USDA and other health organizations.”
Mary Martinez, a SuperTarget shopper, said she wouldn’t be deterred from buying meat even if there was carbon monoxide in the packaging.
“The way I look at it is if it doesn’t kill me, something else will,” she said. “Can’t I enjoy a good steak in the meantime?”
Staff writer Kim McGuire can be reached at 303-820-1240 or kmcguire@denverpost.com.
