The controversy revolves around modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) techniques. The process replaces oxygen with a variety of inert gasses to preserve meat and reduce chances of pathogen contamination. However, consumer groups are protesting the use because carbon monoxide (CO) makes meat appear fresher than it actually is by reacting with the meat pigment myoglobin to create carboxymyoglobin, a bright red pigment.
The House-drafted legislation comes as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is under mounting criticism from consumer groups over it decision in 2004 to allow food processors to use carbon monoxide as a means of keeping meat looking red and fresh. As reported last November by FoodProductionDaily.com the FDA is also dealing with a petition from a food and spice company calling for the regulator to rescind the decision on the grounds that the use of the gas could deceive consumers into buying or eating bad meat.
Since then lawmakers have joined in on the Carbon Monoxide debate. However, this is the first attempt by Capitol Hill to challenge the authority of the FDA by passing overarching legislation regarding the practice.
HR 5991: To Prohibit the Injection of Carbon Monoxide in Meat Products, was drafted last month by Representative Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut. The bill would outlaw "carbon monoxide in any meat or meat food products or the packaging of any meat or meat food products."
"The sole purpose of this practice is to deceive consumers into purchasing and potentially eating meat that looks fresh, but could be spoiled," said DeLauro. "Ground beef treated with carbon monoxide still could have the appearance of being fresh months after its 'sell-by' date. Consumers often do not know until they open the package at home and smell its contents that the meat has spoiled."
It is not the first time lawmakers have asserted their influence in the CO debate. Members of the House and Senate have replied to pleas from consumer groups to petition local authorities and the FDA to ban the process. Accordingly, vehement letters have streamed from Capitol Hill in recent months.
"The meat and fish industries are using scientific tricks to push spoiled products on consumers," said Representative Jan Schakowsky in one letter. "For busy moms and speed shoppers, the color of meat and fish is the first indicator that the product is okay to eat. Carbon monoxide does nothing to preserve food; instead, it disguises spoiled food to make consumers think it's fresh. It should be banned from meat and fish packaging."
CO advocates have railed against this fiery rhetoric. Last month, the American Meat Institute (AMI) announced the results of two studies that highlighted the benefits of CO meat packaging.
In July, scientists at the University of Georgia contaminated meat samples with E coli and packed them in a packaging that contained small amounts of carbon monoxide. A control sample was packed in traditional packaging without using MAP. When left in an environment of 50 degrees F (10 degrees C), meat packaged without MAP technology had almost 12 times as many E. coli cells.
"I don't think that carbon monoxide packaging is a deceptive process at all, certainly not from a safety standpoint," said Mike Doyle, Director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia
However, it seems the scientists have had their final say on the matter as the bill is now being examined by members of the House Committee on Agriculture. Currently, the bill has no schedule for debate.