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The federal government tonight is once again being accused of failing to protect this nation's food supplies. There are rising concerns over the use of carbon monoxide to keep meat looking fresh, and for a long time.
As Kitty Pilgrim reports, it is a common practice in the meat industry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Red, fresh meat, or is it? Congressional hearings pointed to the pitfalls of treating meat with carbon monoxide.
REP. BART STUPAK (D), MICHIGAN: Treating meat with carbon monoxide allows the meat to keep its freshly-ground red color, even though the meat may have spoiled.
I have a picture on the screen, and there's two packages of ground left that were out at room temperature for 27 hours. You can see the one which was treated with carbon monoxide looks fresh and red, while the other meat has turned brown and quite nasty-looking.
PILGRIM: Congressman Stupak and Congressman Ed Markey have introduced legislation that would require meat treated with carbon monoxide to be labeled, so the consumer would know.
According to the industry, two-thirds of all meat and chicken is no longer cut by a butcher in front of customers or in back of the supermarket case. Now prepackaged, case-ready meat is prepared off site at large distributors, and then shipped to supermarkets.
The carbon monoxide treatment keeps meat looking fresh in that process. Food experts say a pound of ground beef cut by a butcher goes brown in four to five days. But meat treated with carbon monoxide by a meat packer can stay looking fresh for weeks. It's the same with imported seafood. Congressman Stupak says his subcommittee tested seafood from China and Vietnam treated with carbon monoxide; 20 percent turned out to be bad and was refused.
MARION NESTLE, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: It's a problem, because consumers aren't informed about how meat is treated. The meat is being treated with chemicals, so that it's going to look like it's fresher than it is. I think consumers have a right to know how fresh their meat is.
PILGRIM: Industry representatives of large meat packers say the additive is harmless and it's easy to tell when the product goes bad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Now, the FDA has declared the meat treated with carbon monoxide is safe, so the use of carbon monoxide is not banned in the United States.
But, three years ago, the European Parliament's Environmental Committee outlawed this process, because consumers could be misled about the freshness of the meat.
Makes sense, doesn't it, Lou?
DOBBS: Yes, it makes sense. And it's interesting that the United States is in the position of following the Europeans on a practice to benefit consumers, to protect consumers, because this government has had such an outstanding record in inspecting imported food, inspecting food.
As you have been reporting, it's mind-boggling the breakdown on all of the protections for the American consumer in this country. It's a national disgrace.
PILGRIM: Well, the congressmen are calling this a completely deceptive process. And they -- they're probably right.
DOBBS: Congressman Stupak, his reaction to that nasty-looking hamburger, I thought he was very kind. It looked a lot more than nasty to me.
PILGRIM: It was a bit of a shock, actually, the pictures.
DOBBS: Kitty, thank you very much for that outstanding report -- Kitty Pilgrim.
As Kitty Pilgrim reports, it is a common practice in the meat industry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Red, fresh meat, or is it? Congressional hearings pointed to the pitfalls of treating meat with carbon monoxide.
REP. BART STUPAK (D), MICHIGAN: Treating meat with carbon monoxide allows the meat to keep its freshly-ground red color, even though the meat may have spoiled.
I have a picture on the screen, and there's two packages of ground left that were out at room temperature for 27 hours. You can see the one which was treated with carbon monoxide looks fresh and red, while the other meat has turned brown and quite nasty-looking.
PILGRIM: Congressman Stupak and Congressman Ed Markey have introduced legislation that would require meat treated with carbon monoxide to be labeled, so the consumer would know.
According to the industry, two-thirds of all meat and chicken is no longer cut by a butcher in front of customers or in back of the supermarket case. Now prepackaged, case-ready meat is prepared off site at large distributors, and then shipped to supermarkets.
The carbon monoxide treatment keeps meat looking fresh in that process. Food experts say a pound of ground beef cut by a butcher goes brown in four to five days. But meat treated with carbon monoxide by a meat packer can stay looking fresh for weeks. It's the same with imported seafood. Congressman Stupak says his subcommittee tested seafood from China and Vietnam treated with carbon monoxide; 20 percent turned out to be bad and was refused.
MARION NESTLE, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: It's a problem, because consumers aren't informed about how meat is treated. The meat is being treated with chemicals, so that it's going to look like it's fresher than it is. I think consumers have a right to know how fresh their meat is.
PILGRIM: Industry representatives of large meat packers say the additive is harmless and it's easy to tell when the product goes bad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Now, the FDA has declared the meat treated with carbon monoxide is safe, so the use of carbon monoxide is not banned in the United States.
But, three years ago, the European Parliament's Environmental Committee outlawed this process, because consumers could be misled about the freshness of the meat.
Makes sense, doesn't it, Lou?
DOBBS: Yes, it makes sense. And it's interesting that the United States is in the position of following the Europeans on a practice to benefit consumers, to protect consumers, because this government has had such an outstanding record in inspecting imported food, inspecting food.
As you have been reporting, it's mind-boggling the breakdown on all of the protections for the American consumer in this country. It's a national disgrace.
PILGRIM: Well, the congressmen are calling this a completely deceptive process. And they -- they're probably right.
DOBBS: Congressman Stupak, his reaction to that nasty-looking hamburger, I thought he was very kind. It looked a lot more than nasty to me.
PILGRIM: It was a bit of a shock, actually, the pictures.
DOBBS: Kitty, thank you very much for that outstanding report -- Kitty Pilgrim.