Walt Lewis wrote:

> Maybe I'm asking for it but I see so many posts saying " I won't buy
> so and so's pork/chicken etc because it is injected!!"
>
> I ask because we often sing the praises of brining -- best damned
> turkey I've ever made!!-- yet complain if the factory does it for us.
> Sure we're paying a ton for a bit of salt, but it saves me a day of
> prep.

The reason we brine today is that commercially produced pork and poultry
don't have the fat (and flavor) that they used to. Commercial producers
"enhance" their meat to restore some of that flavor and save the cook
time. However, there are some legitimate health concerns.

Did a search on "injected pork" and came up with this site:

http://www.maverickranch.com/naturalpork.htm

Quoting:

"However, at Maverick we have some concerns about pumped or "injected"
pork (large manufacturers call it "enhanced"). These are the reasons for
our concerns:

1.
Injectors have needles placed about 1 inch apart. This allows the
possibility that surface bacteria are pushed and injected into the meat.
2.
Most pork plants are in the Midwest. Over 80% of Midwestern
ground water contains pesticides. This poses a good question. Are low
level pesticides being injected into the pork? This question was pointed
out to Roy Moore at Maverick by a major retailer who also serves on the
National Pork Board.
3.
Do we need added Sodium Phosphate in our diet? Health experts
don't think we need any more sodium.
4.
Nearly all ham products contain Nitrates which are preservatives
that turn ham to its pink color. In the 1950's, the FDA almost banned
Nitrates as they are very strong carcinogens (cancer causing agents).
However Nitrates also control botulism which was considered a greater
short term threat. Botulism is food poisoning that can cause food
spoilage and death in a short period of time. As a result, the FDA still
allows Nitrates."

And then there's this article:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/life/...001inject.html

Quoting:

"... That’s because those meats are increasingly being processed with
solutions of water and salt, which are absorbed and account for up to 15
percent of the weight of the product.

The treatment, done either by injection or tumbling, is labeled as an
enhancement to improve tenderness and moisture. But nutritional labeling
shows that the residual sodium in such items as a Butterball boneless,
skinless chicken breast can be as high as 540 mg in a single 4-ounce
piece — before it is cooked or further seasoned by unaware home cooks.
An untreated, raw 4-ounce chicken breast contains 73 mg sodium.

“For people with health issues, this if very detrimental,” says Michelle
Kitze, registered dietitian at Good Samaritan Hospital..."

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

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