In the EU, meat cannot be treated with carbon monoxide to preserve a look of freshness, so food scientists have had to look for other methods of keeping packaged meat looking pink and appealing to consumers. Spanish researchers recently hit upon a possible solution: rosemary. Their studies show that a rosemary extract added to the packaging will have the same effect as carbon monoxide treatment. This so-called "active packaging" could be the wave of the future as far as meat products are concerned, since beef steaks packed in the "rosemary-enhanced plastic film" remained fresh-looking for 14 days under supermarket conditions - an increase of two days over chemical preservation.
The downside might be for consumers, who could have difficulty discerning the difference between a 2-day-old steak and a 2-week old one, although the idea of getting chemically-treated meat off the shelves sounds like one that most meat-eaters could get behind anyway.
Second Helping of Slashfood - June 19
Competitive-Eating Contest to Pit Humans Against Elephants
The Backyard Boom - The Hungry Bride
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-29-2006 @ 1:01PM
MJ said...
They need to look into that here. Wanting to spray cold cuts with bacteria to kill bacteria is a bad thing as far as I am concerned. Dont like to eat cold cuts without heating it anyway! prosemary is one of my favorites anyway, great thinking!
Reply
9-29-2006 @ 1:02PM
MJ said...
freshness is the key!! Hope this is used here! Sorry got off subject before!
Reply
9-29-2006 @ 3:46PM
Franz Hemingbeck said...
You people obviously don't know how to read. This is another way to extend the visual life of meat which is truly appalling- not a way to extend its "freshness."
Anyone who buys their meat from a supermarket is playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette.
Reply
9-30-2006 @ 2:41PM
SCSthrnBell said...
Piggly Wiggly is a local grocery store chain here in SC and they process their own meats. All meats are all processed right behind the meat counter. There are never any additives added and usually starts to discolor after a few days in the fridge, so you can definately tell the freshness. Super Walmart uses some type of red dye in their hamburger meat so that it does not turn brown until a week or 10 days. I did not know this until recently and I have stopped buying all of my meat from there and starting doing more business with the smaller grocery store.
Reply
10-03-2006 @ 1:17PM
MJ said...
Yuck didnt know that about wlly world! Thansk for the info.from the last comment. My dad use to work in a meat processing plant and the things he has told me they did back then, God only know what they are doing now. Try to buy kosher as much as I can! Please wash your meats, cant stress that enough. Dont forget to pray over it before you eat.
Reply