Democrats seek carbon monoxide meat packing ban

ABC News ^ | April 3, 2006 | Reuters

[FairOpinion]

Several Democratic members of Congress called on the U.S. health secretary to immediately ban the use of carbon monoxide to preserve the bright red color of fresh meat until the practice is proven safe, according to a letter made public on Monday.

The members of the House of Representatives urged Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to order the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to repeal its earlier decision that the practice is generally safe.

Leavitt should at least order an aggressive nationwide campaign to inform consumers about the practice and caution them against relying on color rather than a sell-by date when buying meat, the members wrote in a letter.

[FairOpinion]

Let's spend more money on useless studies, and more government control of everything.

The stupidity of the Democrats is only exceeded by their zeal to control us.

Carbon monoxide is only dangerous, when it's inhaled. The amount that is released when the meat pack is open is less than insignificant.

Stupid!

[Dallas59]

They have nothing else to do but protect us from red meat.

[DemforBush]

"Leavitt should at least order an aggressive nationwide campaign to inform consumers about the practice and caution them against relying on color rather than a sell-by date when buying meat, the members wrote in a letter."

Give me a break!

[bybybill]

Glad we have solved all the other problems

[jonrick46]

The action against the use of carbon monoxide comes from the Michigan based meat packer, Kalsec. It seems as if Kalsec wants to used government action to kill competition. Kalsec uses a high oxygen gas in its modified atmosphere processing (MAP) rather than carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide MAP technology will make Kalsec's obsolete.

Thing came to a head when the FDA gave approval on Sept. 29, 2005 of an application by Tyson Foods – a Kalsec customer – to have its carbon monoxide-based MAP process be given the GRAS or “generally recognized as safe” designation. When Tyson was granted the GRAS designation, Kalsec enlisted its Michigan politicians as well as long-time beef fear-mongering groups like the Consumer Federation of America (CFA)and Safe Tables Our Priority (STOP) to outlaw carbon monoxide MAPing. Their entire argument is based upon junk science for a MAP technology that has been used on meat for 20 years. The FDA gave approval of this high tech process in 2002.

[okiecon]

Good info. Wonder how many illegals Tyson is hiring these days?

[RoadTest]

Relatively speaking, it must be safer than nitrites, which remain in the red meats and become nitrosomines (a carcinogen) in our systems.

[WideGlide]

Democratic Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak of Michigan, Henry Waxman of California, and Edward Markey of Massachusetts signed the letter, dated March 30.

I would just assume not have Pigboy deciding what I'm going to eat.

[mewzilla]

Gee, I wonder how Ron Burkle's gonna feel about this...

[mvpel]

The action against the use of carbon monoxide comes from the Michigan based meat packer, Kalsec. It seems as if Kalsec wants to used government action to kill competition.

Winners go to market, losers go to Washington.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

The reason carbon monoxide gas is poisonous, is the same reason that it keeps meat red, and the same reason that the treated meat is safe. Carbon monoxide bonds with hemoglobin -- preventing oxygen from being taken up by the blood. When used to treat the meat, it remains bonded with the hemoglobin & won't be released to the air.