Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> "Pete C." wrote:
> >
> > While some practices are deceptive, like CO flushing meat packages to
> > keep them red, or some of the "enhanced" injected meats, stuff like the
> > inserts isn't deceptive and legitimately extends the shelf life of the
> > products, just as refrigeration does.
>
> Whoa! What's wrong with CO packaging? CO is a colorless,
> natural gas resulting from incomplete combustion of wood
> and other natural fuels. It is not a dye. It retards
> a meat discoloration reaction that freaks out a lot of
> people, in which meat can literally turn purple, without
> any loss of nutrition or wholesomeness. It allows
> reduction or elimination of meat curing salts, which
> promote the formation cancer-causing N-nitroso compounds
> such as the infamous nitrosamines. There's nothing wrong
> with CO treatment of meat, and it's actually healthful
> when it displaces the bad nitrate and nitrite meat-curing
> salts.

Refrigeration, oxygen absorbers, mold inhibitors and the like all serve
to retard spoilage. CO flushing does nothing at all to retard spoilage,
it only affects cosmetics. CO flushing is simply deceptive.