Shocking News About Meat
(Page 3 of 4)
June/July 2007
By Laura Sayre
Worse, these adulterated meats can contain startling amounts of sodium — something most Americans already consume too much of (see “Avoid Salt to Reduce Blood Pressure,” June/July 2007). Sodium phosphate is one of a large number of additives used as binders to try to keep the added water from leaking out. A modest 4-ounce serving of a pumped round steak, for example, has 430 milligrams of sodium, or 19 percent of your recommended daily intake.
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Finally, critics point out that saltwater pumping and gas packaging make it more likely that consumers will buy and eat spoiled meat, and almost certain that they’ll be eating old meat without realizing it. Traditionally packaged ground beef has a shelf life of about five days, while modified atmospheric packaging can give ground beef a shelf life of 14 or even 28 days, says Tony Corbo of the Washington D.C.-based Food and Water Watch. In fact, Consumer Reports found in 2006 that three out of 10 gas-packed ground beef samples had spoiled by their use- or freeze-by date. But all of it still looked nice and red.
Advocates of atmospheric packaging say consumers should observe other indications of spoilage, such as foul odors and surface slime, and not be fooled by the permanent pink. Unfortunately, the USDA has declined to require a label for gas-packed meats to alert consumers. Food and Water Watch has been lobbying for a review of the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of low-oxygen systems using carbon monoxide — one of the most recent and powerful types of gas packaging that provides maximum color enhancement and shelf-life extension — but even if successful this wouldn’t necessarily affect other forms, such as the high-oxygen (80 percent oxygen/20 percent carbon dioxide) system favored by Wal-Mart.
If you know what to look for, gas-packed meats are easy to recognize, although you have no way of knowing which gases are inside. The packages are stouter than the old familiar plastic-wrapped Styrofoam assembly, with a sealed clear plastic top that’s often slightly puffed up by the gases trapped inside. Wal-Mart’s “100% Freshness Guarantee” insignia advertising its “Premium Lock™ Leak-Proof Package” is another giveaway (see photo).
Injected meats are also readily identifiable if you’re paying close attention, and in this case there is a USDA labeling requirement. Standards set by the Food Safety and Inspection Service require a statement identifying the total solution quantity and its ingredients. The typeface is small, but it is on the package. Most packaged meats also bear Nutrition Facts labels, which will reveal the additional sodium you’ll be getting through the meat.
