Industry defends ingredient critics deride as "meat glue"

 

Andrew Mekhail

 "Meat glue" is a new substance of controversy that has been colloquial in recent days by critics, referring to an additive found in a U.S. meat industry. The meat industry has defended the additive by saying that the enzymes transglutaminase and beef fibrin are safe and natural, not used to deceive consumers. Those enzymes are used to bind smaller cuts of beef and port to form consistently sized, uniformly shaped larger steaks. Most meat containing the enzymes is sold to food service industry, critics say that few consumers know they're eating them because of this, turning inexpensive cuts of meat into what they appear as premium cuts. Dana Hansen, an associate professor of meat science at North Carolina State University says that the USDA recommends meat containing these enzymes to be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit with a three minute rest period.

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/industry-defends-ingredient-critics-deride-as-meat-glue