Steak, Carbon Monoxide Well Done

Here's some ewwwww news. Lawmakers are debating the use of carbon monoxide in meat. Why would you put tailpipe exhaust in meat, a reasonable person might ask. Well, to keep it pink, of course. At one point during the hearings, a congressional member presented the meat industry execs with two pieces of equally fresh looking pink beef, one of which happened to be 2 years old thanks to a carbon monoxide injection.

First, full disclosure. I hate vegetables. And fruit. Which pretty much leaves me on the meat and carb diet. Hence my email address :) So yeah, when someone is mucking about with my dinner I get a little upset. If they were putting carbon monoxide in brussel sprouts, I'd be like Good for them. Anyway, I digress. So the beef is injected with carbon monoxide to keep it pink. Meat naturally turns a darker color when it is exposed to oxygen, but consumers buy meat largely based upon appearance. Sure we take a glance at the "best used by" date, but I know I'm looking at the meat itself.

In all likelihood the practice won't be banned, but will probably be labeled accordingly. Which I'm fine with. In the meantime, consumer trepidation has led Harris Teeter, Safeway, Giant, Stop & Shop, and Tyson foods to discontinue the practice. Target, however, simply asked the FDA to label its meat as carbon monoxided. And if that isn't a verb, it is now.

photo by prettywar-stl on flickr.