That ruby red hue of meat in grocery store cases is more likely the deceptive work of food companies’s “modified atmosphere packaging”-or packaging meat in a mix of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and carbon monoxide to keep it looking fresh. The Los Angeles Times reports on fears that the practice keeps meat looking fresher than it actually is. However, omnivores need not panic, according to Michael Doyle, director of UGA’s Center for Food Safety. “Meat can spend a few extra days in the fridge and still taste good,” he says in the article.
