News Update

News Update
June 6, 2006

CO packaged meat is useful, safe

“The claim that CO packaging will result in unsafe products is not scientifically sound,” notes a joint guest expert editorial in the May edition of Food Technology. According to an article published on meatami.com, the editorial authors note that recent media reports generated by private interests have raised concerns about the use of carbon monoxide (CO) as a component in Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) and have attempted to garner public and legislative efforts to ban the innovative technology.

“CO is useful for fresh-meat packaging, because the gas binds with the muscle pigment myoglobin to produce a bright red color” that is sought after by consumers, note authors Joe Sebranek of Iowa State University, Mel Hunt of Kansas State University, Daren Cornforth of Utah State University and Susan Brewer of the University of Illinois, the meatami.com article continued.

The Food Technology editorial authors note that one assault against CO has included a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting they ban its further use for meat packaging. The petition to FDA does not question the safety of CO but claims that the practice is deceptive and will undermine food safety. “However, on at least three occasions, FDA has ruled that CO is a colorless, odorless, ‘invisible’ gas and therefore can not directly transfer color to meat,” they note.

They explain that the ability of CO to promote longer lasting red color in meat has also been a chief basis for its criticism. “While it has been documented that CO-based meat color can remain red even at high levels of bacterial growth, it is highly unlikely that meat which is truly spoiled would be consumed, even if the color was still red, because of the other warning signs such as odors that accompany excessive bacterial growth,” they note.

The authors also address claims that the technology will result in the unsafe products being sold and consumed. They explain that there is no greater risk associated with bacteria growth using CO technology than with any other packaging system. “In fact, a valid argument can be made that CO packaging creates opportunities to increase safety. It is important to realize that the presence or absence of bacteria of public health significance on meat is independent of meat color,” they add.

They conclude that since the safety of low CO packaging has been established, it would be appropriate to “let the marketplace decide the success or failure of the process.”

To see the full article from Food Technology go to www.meatami.com/StoryLinks/2006/FoodTechnologyMAPArticle060206.pdf.

Another delay in Korean beef exports?

South Korea stated Monday that it may delay resumption of U.S. beef imports, tentatively scheduled for approval Wednesday, to next month, meatingplace.com reported.

“U.S. beef processing facilities do not meet the standards suggested by the South Korean government,” said Park Hong-soo, minister of agriculture, adding that the first shipments of beef may not be allowed this month.

The ministry was expected to publish a list of approved exporting plants on Wednesday but now appears to be set to publish a list of plants that it plans to monitor to make sure they meet South Korean standards, the meatingplace.com article continued. Park did not specifically indicate what U.S. processors need to do to meet standards. Food safety experts toured export plants in the United States in May and reportedly gave them a clean bill of health.

Top trade officials are in Washington this week negotiating a thorny bilateral free trade agreement and may be able to address the latest delay in a timely manner, the article said.

— compiled by Meghan Richey, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.