How about some Carbon Monoxide with that fish?

[Ellen]

Nothing says, "We care about you the consumer", like some poisonous gas used for preservative puposes.

I took some Tilapia out of the freezer today, and happened to unintentionally look at the ingredients. Tilapia, Carbon Monoxide. Talk about doing a double take. Long story short after some research, it's true. Helps keep the natural color. Same with red meat, which besides sounding truly unappetizing, keeps old meat looking fresh... Of course, I'm sure no one would ever do that, sell old meat as fresh.

And our wonderful govt. will not make it a law to disclose this "preservative". Frankly, I'm shocked ANY company would discose it. I don't care how "safe" some think small levels are, I want to know what's in my food. I have a right to know just how poisonous everything I eat (and drink) is.


Anywho, thought I'd post this as an FYI. Not here to debate "safe levels", etc. Just thought some people might want to know....


Bon appetit!

 

[Matata]

I'd be more worried about the mercury levels although Tilapia is supposedly lower on the scale than other fish. I'm feeling pretty pessimistic today and will probably come across as a real downer, but I figure if it's grown commercially, be it fish, fowl, vegie or fruit, it's probably not all that good for you.

 

[Ellen]

Matata, I wouldn't call you pessimistic, I'd call you a realist. And I totally agree with your assessment. However, I still think we should know just how rotten everything is that we're being fed. Just like they don't have to label genetically modified stuff. That's not right. Yanno?


btw, on a happier note, Merry Christmas.

 

[Imdanny]

I agree with both of you. The way we process our food seems very dangerous and counter-intuitive. I try to buy organic, locally raised food. It's more expensive, but I figure I don't need as much of it because I get more nutrition (and less chemicals) out of it, anyway.

And, Ellen, I totally agree with you that the government should mandate we be told these things like genetic modification. It's outrageous that they don't.

 

[Tuckins1]

Eeeew!

It's really scary, the crap we are allowed to consume....

 

[iLander]

If I understand the processing correctly, the carbon monoxide is released as soon as you open the bag. It keeps the oxygen from turning the fish a funny color. This is actually EXTREMELY common and used in most meat packing houses, grocery stores, etc. It's actually the same stuff that comes out of your car. I'm surprised they listed it as an ingredient, that's actually not the correct format. Is the tilapia imported?

I'm not saying it's right (IT'S NOT), I'm just saying it's very common, so don't upset yourself.

Here's some little known food facts for you:

the USDA has an allowance of a certain number of rat hairs per pound of coffee that you consume. I don't know the number, but they allow some and the coffee will still pass inspection.

The majority of your food is irradiated so it won't spoil. The government says this is safe. I laugh.

The soup you buy in a can is cooked in that can. Don't buy dented cans.

The cereal boxes that you buy are covered with a pesticide on the inside of the box. Don't take the bag out and pour the cereal back into the box.

Don't microwave anything in plastic wrap. It releases carcinogens.

Don't reuse those little plastic grocery bags for food. They are not a food grade plastic. The ink and plastic are full of carcinogens. If you want to "brown bag" your fruit, use a bread bag.

Buy your organic produce if it's wrapped or bagged. If it's loose, the grocery store sprays it (and all the other produce) with a pesticide/preservative mix at night.

I eat as much organic food as possible. MILK is the single most important thing that you should buy in organic. If you buy nothing else, at LEAST buy organic milk/cheese/butter.

 

[Skippy123]

ugh, gross Ellen have you seen Food Inc (the movie)? I don't look at food the same way anymore; very scary!!!

 

[IdLikeToBuyAVal]

I can't eat tilapia after watching that particular episode of "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe. If you haven't seen it, you should.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/30832-dirty-jobs-striped-bass-farm-video.htm

 

[chemgirl]

To be honnest, I'm not sure if the use of carbon monoxide to preserve the fish is really that bad. I would have thought they did a lot more to it. I'm not sure if carbon monoxide is harmfull in extremely low amounts, but off the top of my head I don't think it is.

I do agree that genetically modified food should be clearly labelled, and the use of growth hormones should be disclosed on all food products that contain them.

I'm generally against processed foods, although I do recognize that in order to provide a desireably shelf life, some preservation is required (be it freezing etc.) I am also slightly concerned at the outcome if they stopped current decontamination processes. I'm not talking about pesticides, more about irradiation to kill bacteria in packaged foods. I worry that if that practice is stopped, there might be issues with salmonella and ecoli in foods.

I went to a chicken processing plant during a course on waste treatment and it was nasty. I won't touch chicken nuggets/fingers/burgers anymore. So I do agree with some points mentioned by other posters. I think its better to try and buy free range, organic if you can afford it. I also try to buy from local farmers as much as possible. I just think that the issue isn't as cut and dry as its sometimes made out to be.

 

[Gothgrrl]

Yuck. It's a wonder that more foods don't gross me out. Now, it seems nothing is safe to eat.

 

[Imdanny]

ugh, gross Ellen have you seen Food Inc (the movie)? I don't look at food the same way anymore; very scary!!!

I did. It was like we're living in this great corn growers' conspiracy, and the population is eating so much corn syrup and becoming obese. It was scary how a corporate grocery store has so much choice derived from so few actual ingredients.

I also watched "Supersize Me" which will show you exactly what will happy to your body if you eat only McDonald's for a month.

 

[Imdanny]

Have any of you thought about eating Gulf seafood after the oil spill and the chemical spraying? I never will again. I don't care whether they say it's safe and repeat themselves 1,000 times.

 

[chemgirl]

Have any of you thought about eating Gulf seafood after the oil spill and the chemical spraying? I never will again. I don't care whether they say it's safe and repeat themselves 1,000 times.

I am obsessing over it a bit since my parents vacation there every winter. Part of me thinks that any toxins would be dilute at this point and the seafood "might" be ok. Another part of me thinks that we don't know how individual animals were affected and nothing is safe. Personally, I think I'll avoid eating seafood from this area for several years.

 

[chemgirl]

I think a big part of this is the knee-jerk reaction when we hear the words carbon monoxide. In this case, its really not that big of a deal. It stops the meat from oxidizing. Its packaged in a CO rich environment. The meat's not held behind a car's exhaust pipe or anything. We all know that CO is odorless and colorless. Treating meat with CO is far less disgusting to me than using other chemical color fixatives.

CO treatment can become an issue is if the meat has gone bad and the consumer doesn't notice because its still red. However, spoiled meat also gets a slime layer and starts to smell bad. As long as the best before date isn't tampered with and the meat hasn't been accidently heated prior to being purchased, the CO treated meat should be fine.

 

[elrohwen]

You do realize that carbon monoxide is only poisonous when inhaled? I'm not really sure what you're worried about.

If you're just worried that it is being used to sell meat that has gone bad already, then yes, I agree it's an annoying practice, however no different than any other type of preservative used in pretty much all packaged food. If the food was really bad, you would still know it when you opened the package, no matter what color it was from the CO treatment. If you don't like it, don't buy packaged food, but don't pretend like you're going to die from carbon monoxide poisoning here.

ETA: I should've just dittoed chemgirl's latest post.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Ellen,
I hear garlic smoothies counteract carbon monoxide exposure...

 

[waterlilly]

pure oxygen will kill you too...so "safe" vs. "unsafe" levels are actually a key part of the discussion when it comes to gasses we are exposed to.

 

[MonkeyPie]

If I didn't anything with preservatives or what is considered "questionable" packaging practices, I wouldn't be able to eat anything but veggies I grow myself, and I would starve in the winter. I have a hard time caring if I eat a rat hair or two in my lifetime (though I don't drink coffee).

 

[MonkeyPie]

Ellen,
I hear garlic smoothies counteract carbon monoxide exposure...

Erg...but BWAHAHAHA.

 

[dragonfly411]

I generally only buy fish that hasn't been frozen. That being said I am lucky enough to live in a state surrounded by large bodies of water lol.

Bleh to some of the things above.

 

[Ara Ann]

speaking of fish... I learned something new on Dr. Oz's show yesterday about farm raised salmon. I already knew farm raised fish was bad, but, because the farm raised salmon does not eat its natural diet of krill, the salmon flesh does not get that pinky hue it is known for. The farm raised salmon's flesh is white and is also void of the healthy fats, etc. that wild salmon has. SO, the salmon farmers feed DIE PELLETS to the fish to artificially color their flesh, so they appear to be the same color and people think the died fish have the same healthy properties as wild salmon. Unreal.

I am also disturbed about all of the lies our government can get away with. For instance, something that is labeled "MSG free" is not free of MSG, they have just re-named it, it can also be labeled as 'broth, natural flavors' - etc., but it is good old MSG. Ugh.

 

[elrohwen]

speaking of fish... I learned something new on Dr. Oz's show yesterday about farm raised salmon. I already knew farm raised fish was bad, but, because the farm raised salmon does not eat its natural diet of krill, the salmon flesh does not get that pinky hue it is known for. The farm raised salmon's flesh is white and is also void of the healthy fats, etc. that wild salmon has. SO, the salmon farmers feed DIE PELLETS to the fish to artificially color their flesh, so they appear to be the same color and people think the died fish have the same healthy properties as wild salmon. Unreal.

I am also disturbed about all of the lies our government can get away with. For instance, something that is labeled "MSG free" is not free of MSG, they have just re-named it, it can also be labeled as 'broth, natural flavors' - etc., but it is good old MSG. Ugh.

Lots of wild salmon is died too. I know people who fish an Alaska who tell me that wild caught salmon isn't very pink either - certainly not as dark as the stuff you buy at the supermarket. At this point, most salmon you see in the store that is dark pink is falsely colored - the fish companies have trained us to think that darker pink is better, so that's what they sell.

 

[Skippy123]

speaking of fish... I learned something new on Dr. Oz's show yesterday about farm raised salmon. I already knew farm raised fish was bad, but, because the farm raised salmon does not eat its natural diet of krill, the salmon flesh does not get that pinky hue it is known for. The farm raised salmon's flesh is white and is also void of the healthy fats, etc. that wild salmon has. SO, the salmon farmers feed DIE PELLETS to the fish to artificially color their flesh, so they appear to be the same color and people think the died fish have the same healthy properties as wild salmon. Unreal.

I am also disturbed about all of the lies our government can get away with. For instance, something that is labeled "MSG free" is not free of MSG, they have just re-named it, it can also be labeled as 'broth, natural flavors' - etc., but it is good old MSG. Ugh.

Lots of wild salmon is died too. I know people who fish an Alaska who tell me that wild caught salmon isn't very pink either - certainly not as dark as the stuff you buy at the supermarket. At this point, most salmon you see in the store that is dark pink is falsely colored - the fish companies have trained us to think that darker pink is better, so that's what they sell.

I agree salmon is died. We went to Alaska this summer and the Gustavus Inn served salmon caught that day and it looked nothing like the salmon you buy at the store. That is when I realized they put lots of coloring on the salmon they sell to us like Elrohwen said. Heck they do that with beef too!!! My grandma had a ranch with cows and the meat never looked that bright red color that is in the supermarkets!!! I wonder how much coloring we eat a year?!?

I wish we would go back to the way things use to be. I mean we want instant gratification but with that there is a price to be paid; it is sad. Oh well.

 

[elrohwen]

speaking of fish... I learned something new on Dr. Oz's show yesterday about farm raised salmon. I already knew farm raised fish was bad, but, because the farm raised salmon does not eat its natural diet of krill, the salmon flesh does not get that pinky hue it is known for. The farm raised salmon's flesh is white and is also void of the healthy fats, etc. that wild salmon has. SO, the salmon farmers feed DIE PELLETS to the fish to artificially color their flesh, so they appear to be the same color and people think the died fish have the same healthy properties as wild salmon. Unreal.

I am also disturbed about all of the lies our government can get away with. For instance, something that is labeled "MSG free" is not free of MSG, they have just re-named it, it can also be labeled as 'broth, natural flavors' - etc., but it is good old MSG. Ugh.

Lots of wild salmon is died too. I know people who fish an Alaska who tell me that wild caught salmon isn't very pink either - certainly not as dark as the stuff you buy at the supermarket. At this point, most salmon you see in the store that is dark pink is falsely colored - the fish companies have trained us to think that darker pink is better, so that's what they sell.

I agree salmon is died. We went to Alaska this summer and the Gustavus Inn served salmon caught that day and it looked nothing like the salmon you buy at the store. That is when I realized they put lots of coloring on the salmon the sell to us like Elrohwen said.

I wish we would go back to the way things use to be. I mean we want instant gratification but with that there is a price to be paid; it is sad. Oh well.

Yeah, I had a similar experience - my college roommate's parents went on a trip to Alaska and overnighted us some fish they had caught and frozen. It was hardly pink at all and my roommate said that's perfectly normal for actual wild salmon. It was delicious!

I think the food industry has become very good at convincing us of what we want - they tell us we want well marbled beef. so they set us up for wanting fatty beef that comes from a feed lot. We've also been trained to buy fruit and veggies that all look identical, which is what we can get from factory farms growing only one crop. It's hard to separate what we instinctively know is "good salmon", "good beef", or "good produce" from what we've been told to buy over many years.

 

[Ara Ann]

speaking of fish... I learned something new on Dr. Oz's show yesterday about farm raised salmon. I already knew farm raised fish was bad, but, because the farm raised salmon does not eat its natural diet of krill, the salmon flesh does not get that pinky hue it is known for. The farm raised salmon's flesh is white and is also void of the healthy fats, etc. that wild salmon has. SO, the salmon farmers feed DIE PELLETS to the fish to artificially color their flesh, so they appear to be the same color and people think the died fish have the same healthy properties as wild salmon. Unreal.

I am also disturbed about all of the lies our government can get away with. For instance, something that is labeled "MSG free" is not free of MSG, they have just re-named it, it can also be labeled as 'broth, natural flavors' - etc., but it is good old MSG. Ugh.

Lots of wild salmon is died too. I know people who fish an Alaska who tell me that wild caught salmon isn't very pink either - certainly not as dark as the stuff you buy at the supermarket. At this point, most salmon you see in the store that is dark pink is falsely colored - the fish companies have trained us to think that darker pink is better, so that's what they sell.

I agree salmon is died. We went to Alaska this summer and the Gustavus Inn served salmon caught that day and it looked nothing like the salmon you buy at the store. That is when I realized they put lots of coloring on the salmon the sell to us like Elrohwen said.

I wish we would go back to the way things use to be. I mean we want instant gratification but with that there is a price to be paid; it is sad. Oh well.

Yeah, I had a similar experience - my college roommate's parents went on a trip to Alaska and overnighted us some fish they had caught and frozen. It was hardly pink at all and my roommate said that's perfectly normal for actual wild salmon. It was delicious!

I think the food industry has become very good at convincing us of what we want - they tell us we want well marbled beef. so they set us up for wanting fatty beef that comes from a feed lot. We've also been trained to buy fruit and veggies that all look identical, which is what we can get from factory farms growing only one crop. It's hard to separate what we instinctively know is "good salmon", "good beef", or "good produce" from what we've been told to buy over many years.

Well thanks for letting me know about that too.

I guess we are all victims of marketing gone haywire...we want everything to look pretty, including our food...who cares if it's dyed, sprayed, waxed and is full of artificial preservatives and flavorings, on and on. And who cares if it makes us sick, we can go to the doctor and spend thousands getting better. And we wonder why we are getting fatter and sicker every year? When we are told to eat things like salmon, because it's good for us, but is dyed to appeal to the consumer. Ugh. But WHERE can we even buy food that isn't as fake as it looks? Not in a grocery store... Makes me mad. Now where are those Doritos?

 

[dragonfly411]

speaking of fish... I learned something new on Dr. Oz's show yesterday about farm raised salmon. I already knew farm raised fish was bad, but, because the farm raised salmon does not eat its natural diet of krill, the salmon flesh does not get that pinky hue it is known for. The farm raised salmon's flesh is white and is also void of the healthy fats, etc. that wild salmon has. SO, the salmon farmers feed DIE PELLETS to the fish to artificially color their flesh, so they appear to be the same color and people think the died fish have the same healthy properties as wild salmon. Unreal.

I am also disturbed about all of the lies our government can get away with. For instance, something that is labeled "MSG free" is not free of MSG, they have just re-named it, it can also be labeled as 'broth, natural flavors' - etc., but it is good old MSG. Ugh.

Lots of wild salmon is died too. I know people who fish an Alaska who tell me that wild caught salmon isn't very pink either - certainly not as dark as the stuff you buy at the supermarket. At this point, most salmon you see in the store that is dark pink is falsely colored - the fish companies have trained us to think that darker pink is better, so that's what they sell.

I agree salmon is died. We went to Alaska this summer and the Gustavus Inn served salmon caught that day and it looked nothing like the salmon you buy at the store. That is when I realized they put lots of coloring on the salmon the sell to us like Elrohwen said.

I wish we would go back to the way things use to be. I mean we want instant gratification but with that there is a price to be paid; it is sad. Oh well.

Yeah, I had a similar experience - my college roommate's parents went on a trip to Alaska and overnighted us some fish they had caught and frozen. It was hardly pink at all and my roommate said that's perfectly normal for actual wild salmon. It was delicious!

I think the food industry has become very good at convincing us of what we want - they tell us we want well marbled beef. so they set us up for wanting fatty beef that comes from a feed lot. We've also been trained to buy fruit and veggies that all look identical, which is what we can get from factory farms growing only one crop. It's hard to separate what we instinctively know is "good salmon", "good beef", or "good produce" from what we've been told to buy over many years.

Well thanks for letting me know about that too.

I guess we are all victims of marketing gone haywire...we want everything to look pretty, including our food...who cares if it's dyed, sprayed, waxed and is full of artificial preservatives and flavorings, on and on. And who cares if it makes us sick, we can go to the doctor and spend thousands getting better. And we wonder why we are getting fatter and sicker every year? When we are told to eat things like salmon, because it's good for us, but is dyed to appeal to the consumer. Ugh. But WHERE can we even buy food that isn't as fake as it looks? Not in a grocery store... Makes me mad. Now where are those Doritos?

An all natural market? Directly from farmers? Hunt more? Raise more of our own? Create greater demand for natural foods? There are plenty of answers...... but are you willing to pursue those answers, or are you willing to give up at "Not in a grocery store".

 

[chemgirl]

speaking of fish... I learned something new on Dr. Oz's show yesterday about farm raised salmon. I already knew farm raised fish was bad, but, because the farm raised salmon does not eat its natural diet of krill, the salmon flesh does not get that pinky hue it is known for. The farm raised salmon's flesh is white and is also void of the healthy fats, etc. that wild salmon has. SO, the salmon farmers feed DIE PELLETS to the fish to artificially color their flesh, so they appear to be the same color and people think the died fish have the same healthy properties as wild salmon. Unreal.

I am also disturbed about all of the lies our government can get away with. For instance, something that is labeled "MSG free" is not free of MSG, they have just re-named it, it can also be labeled as 'broth, natural flavors' - etc., but it is good old MSG. Ugh.

Lots of wild salmon is died too. I know people who fish an Alaska who tell me that wild caught salmon isn't very pink either - certainly not as dark as the stuff you buy at the supermarket. At this point, most salmon you see in the store that is dark pink is falsely colored - the fish companies have trained us to think that darker pink is better, so that's what they sell.

I agree salmon is died. We went to Alaska this summer and the Gustavus Inn served salmon caught that day and it looked nothing like the salmon you buy at the store. That is when I realized they put lots of coloring on the salmon the sell to us like Elrohwen said.

I wish we would go back to the way things use to be. I mean we want instant gratification but with that there is a price to be paid; it is sad. Oh well.

Yeah, I had a similar experience - my college roommate's parents went on a trip to Alaska and overnighted us some fish they had caught and frozen. It was hardly pink at all and my roommate said that's perfectly normal for actual wild salmon. It was delicious!

I think the food industry has become very good at convincing us of what we want - they tell us we want well marbled beef. so they set us up for wanting fatty beef that comes from a feed lot. We've also been trained to buy fruit and veggies that all look identical, which is what we can get from factory farms growing only one crop. It's hard to separate what we instinctively know is "good salmon", "good beef", or "good produce" from what we've been told to buy over many years.

Well thanks for letting me know about that too.

I guess we are all victims of marketing gone haywire...we want everything to look pretty, including our food...who cares if it's dyed, sprayed, waxed and is full of artificial preservatives and flavorings, on and on. And who cares if it makes us sick, we can go to the doctor and spend thousands getting better. And we wonder why we are getting fatter and sicker every year? When we are told to eat things like salmon, because it's good for us, but is dyed to appeal to the consumer. Ugh. But WHERE can we even buy food that isn't as fake as it looks? Not in a grocery store... Makes me mad. Now where are those Doritos?

An all natural market? Directly from farmers? Hunt more? Raise more of our own? Create greater demand for natural foods? There are plenty of answers...... but are you willing to pursue those answers, or are you willing to give up at "Not in a grocery store".

Along the same lines, there are a lot of farms that aren't "certified organic" but that shouldn't necessarily scare you away. In the area where I grew up, there are very few certified organic farms (and never an organic section in the groccery store). However, many farms are vaccination only when it comes to meat. That means no growth hormone, no preservative. Some farmers are hesitant to take the risks that come with being an organic facility, but their product is still significantly less processed than the groccery store.

 

[Ara Ann]

speaking of fish... I learned something new on Dr. Oz's show yesterday about farm raised salmon. I already knew farm raised fish was bad, but, because the farm raised salmon does not eat its natural diet of krill, the salmon flesh does not get that pinky hue it is known for. The farm raised salmon's flesh is white and is also void of the healthy fats, etc. that wild salmon has. SO, the salmon farmers feed DIE PELLETS to the fish to artificially color their flesh, so they appear to be the same color and people think the died fish have the same healthy properties as wild salmon. Unreal.

I am also disturbed about all of the lies our government can get away with. For instance, something that is labeled "MSG free" is not free of MSG, they have just re-named it, it can also be labeled as 'broth, natural flavors' - etc., but it is good old MSG. Ugh.

Lots of wild salmon is died too. I know people who fish an Alaska who tell me that wild caught salmon isn't very pink either - certainly not as dark as the stuff you buy at the supermarket. At this point, most salmon you see in the store that is dark pink is falsely colored - the fish companies have trained us to think that darker pink is better, so that's what they sell.

I agree salmon is died. We went to Alaska this summer and the Gustavus Inn served salmon caught that day and it looked nothing like the salmon you buy at the store. That is when I realized they put lots of coloring on the salmon the sell to us like Elrohwen said.

I wish we would go back to the way things use to be. I mean we want instant gratification but with that there is a price to be paid; it is sad. Oh well.

Yeah, I had a similar experience - my college roommate's parents went on a trip to Alaska and overnighted us some fish they had caught and frozen. It was hardly pink at all and my roommate said that's perfectly normal for actual wild salmon. It was delicious!

I think the food industry has become very good at convincing us of what we want - they tell us we want well marbled beef. so they set us up for wanting fatty beef that comes from a feed lot. We've also been trained to buy fruit and veggies that all look identical, which is what we can get from factory farms growing only one crop. It's hard to separate what we instinctively know is "good salmon", "good beef", or "good produce" from what we've been told to buy over many years.

Well thanks for letting me know about that too.

I guess we are all victims of marketing gone haywire...we want everything to look pretty, including our food...who cares if it's dyed, sprayed, waxed and is full of artificial preservatives and flavorings, on and on. And who cares if it makes us sick, we can go to the doctor and spend thousands getting better. And we wonder why we are getting fatter and sicker every year? When we are told to eat things like salmon, because it's good for us, but is dyed to appeal to the consumer. Ugh. But WHERE can we even buy food that isn't as fake as it looks? Not in a grocery store... Makes me mad. Now where are those Doritos?

An all natural market? Directly from farmers? Hunt more? Raise more of our own? Create greater demand for natural foods? There are plenty of answers...... but are you willing to pursue those answers, or are you willing to give up at "Not in a grocery store".

I realize you are probably speaking of us as a culture/the general population, but I can only answer from my own experience.

Speaking for myself, yes, we do shop carefully and buy mostly organic products, but the selection we have locally to us is limited. We don't have natural markets in our area, neither do we have year round farming (winter here now) and are not hunters... We have made changes in our buying and food choices, but even still, with the hidden things food manufacturers do or add, that we are not aware of, like dyed salmon for instance, it's not as simple as 'eating healthy and making good choices.' The public is told to eat certain foods because they are healthy, but when the 'healthy stuff' that is available to us is altered without our knowledge, it is very difficult to truly eat healthy foods, especially from the typical grocery store, which is where most people get their food from.