April 2008 - Beef and Carbon Monoxide

Beef and carbon monoxide (CO), the ingredients listed in last month's Name the Product contest, nestle in unholy matrimony in your supermarket cooler. So do pork and CO, and more. On your next grocery-shopping trip, see for yourself. Meat tightly wrapped where the clear plastic touches the meat does NOT contain CO.

Look for deeper plastic trays with a more rigid plastic wrap where the meat and wrap do not touch. Space between the contents and the wrapper mean CO has been used. But used for what? To preserve that fresh red or pink color to the meat! So the consumer who judges meats' freshness factor by color may, in fact, end up with a much-less-than-fresh entrée for Sunday dinner. And guess what? You won't find a mention of CO or its use on the package label.

When you find these meat packages, take one to the store manager and ask why the change in packaging and ask what the difference is in the product. See if they mention CO. Open a dialogue and explain your concerns about this lack of information, and why you won't buy such meat. As a consumer with choices, you can effect changes.

Back to the milk and rBGH labeling issue discussed last month: The PA Department of Agriculture finally decided milk lacking rBGH/rBST can be labeled as such. However, the labeling can't state that the milk is "hormone-free" or "rBGH-free," but must say "From cows not treated with rBGH" or "Produced without the use of rBST." Additionally, the statement must include the disclaimer, "No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST-treated and non-rBST-treated cows." What a bunch of bull.

"Let food be your medicine," sums up Sue Cosgrove's stance on health and wellness. She believes nutrient-dense and biologically-alive sustenance is not only nature's best prevention, but also nature's best cure for many maladies. Comments are welcomed by the writer at chewsorganic@yahoo.com.

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