Carbon Monoxide-Treated Ground Beef Collected from Store Shelves Indicates Potential for Spoilage Prior to Expiration

Washington, DC - A limited study to determine levels of spoilage bacteria on ground beef treated with carbon monoxide suggests that use of the controversial meat coloring practice may have significant food safety implications. The study found that carbon monoxide-treated ground beef packages collected from grocery store shelves had significantly higher levels of spoilage bacteria compared to samples of case-ready ground beef in conventional high-oxygen modified atmosphere packages, and that an unacceptable percentage were spoiled prior to the expiration date.

Of 54 samples of CO-treated ground beef purchased from retail stores in two states and analyzed within the use- or freeze-by dates, approximately 15 percent were found to be spoiled (having a count of greater than 10 million microorganisms per gram of meat) with an additional 20 percent being close to spoiled (having a count of between 1 million and 10 million microorganisms per gram of meat). These findings contrasted sharply with 50 commercially available samples of ground beef in high oxygen modified atmosphere packages that were also tested. None of the high oxygen samples were spoiled, and only one was close to spoiled.

The new data submitted to the USDA and FDA are from limited studies performed by S&J Laboratories of Portage, Michigan, examining bacteria levels in samples of ground beef packaged with carbon monoxide purchased from various retailers. The new data are included in a submission made to the FDA and USDA on June 14, 2006 by Kalsec, Inc. of Kalamazoo, MI, which sponsored the studies, together with additional information supporting a Citizen Petition the company filed on November 15, 2005.

SOURCE: Kalsec, Inc.