SOME 'CARBS' REALLY ARE BAD

If by "carbs," of course, you mean carbon monoxide, a known hazard to human health. I was aware this gas was being used to artifially color some types of fish, but now it emerges that this is common practice for meat in general. And one food producer wants it stopped: "A food and spice company wants the FDA to prohibit the use of carbon monoxide in meat packaging, saying the practice, done to keep the meat fresh-looking, can hide spoilage." Note also that the FDA "accepted the practice as safe last year in response to requests from two other food companies. It is outlawed in Europe."

But gosh, why would anyone want to put such a noxious substance - even temporarily - on food we're about to eat? "The use of carbon monoxide in fresh-meat packaging produces an artificially intense, persistent red color in meat that can simulate the look of fresh meat and mask the natural signs of aging and spoilage that consumers depend on in making safe food choices, including browning and telltale odors." Ohhhhhh.