Today's Washington Post has an interesting article about carbon monoxide gassing of red meat to keep it looking fresh. It highlights how industries do their own scientific testing to determine if products are safe for the public, and how organizations like the Agriculture Department give approval without even questioning the findings. In these times, it is more important than ever to be an educated consumer. Our government's safety standards are lower than those of many other countries.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
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Aiieee! The graphic accompanying the article is truly horrifying. Without carbon monoxide, spoiled meat normally appears green and rancid. After gassing, it's a deceptive "natural" red... for up to 2 years!
Do Cargill executives sit down and eat 2-year old meat at their family dinners? Do they pre-treat their meat purchases by holding them under the tailpipe of their SUV's?
The answer is no. In fact, I would bet that any meat stocks that are beyond a normal sell-by date are not even sold in stores within 15 miles of any Cargill exec's home. I bet it's standard practice to ship carbon monoxide "freshened" meats to stores in low-income areas, where people have less means to reject lower quality. As the article noted, the red color doesn't affect odors. I doubt many people are fooled once they pull the wrapper off a 2-year old package of "red" meat.
We're now at the point that the big-business right has been salivating over for years: governmental regulatory agencies that are hollow shells, with zero credibility. They function purely as well-trained lapdogs for fulfilling industry desires.
If that doesn't disturb you, have another 2-year old rancid green burger and smile while you chew.
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