the Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, March 11, 2006 6:00 pm
None of a group of food stores surveyed in Lincoln acknowledged using “modified atmosphere” meat packaging that includes carbon monoxide. But it’s just a matter of time for at least one group of stores.
Here’s what they had to say.
Hy-Vee: Spokeswoman Chris Friesleben said the employee-owned grocery chain is just now introducing “Blue Ribbon” beef that uses this type of packaging in Des Moines.
“It will be rolled out to all of our stores eventually, probably within the next year,” she said.
Freisleben is “absolutely” confident of its safety.
“It is such a minute amount of carbon monoxide, less than one-half of 1 percent of all the gases in the packaging system,” she said.
Hy-Vee gets this meat from Precept Foods, the Hormel-Cargill organization.
The packaging does not inform the consumer of the packaging method, she said.
“We’re very confident it’s a good and safe method and we stand by our decision of putting it in our stores,” Freisleben said.
B&R Stores: Pat Raybould, president of the organization that owns Super Saver and Russ’s Markets, says he isn’t using any modified atmosphere packaging.
“In fact, we lowered the shelf life of our fresh beef and hamburger so it’s even fresher for consumers,” he said.
Wal-Mart: Last May, Wal-Mart tested select meat cuts packed in low oxygen, Modified Atmosphere Packaging, in about 100 stores in Arkansas and Missouri, said spokeswoman Karen Burk.
“Because we did not think the consumer response warranted our offering the product, we discontinued the test several weeks ago,” she said.
In a limited number of stores, Wal-Mart also carried what Burk called a very small supply of branded meat products with low oxygen packaging. “We recently made the decision to discontinue ordering these products, because we felt that there was not sufficient demand and our customers were telling us that they preferred other alternatives,” she said.
Leon’s Food Mart: Roy Toy, meat manager and one of the owners, said he wasn’t familiar with the carbon monoxide meat packaging system.
“I’m assuming it’s kind of a gas flush,” he said. “Ours is fresh cut every day.”
Ideal Grocery & Market: Gerry Snow, meat manager and one of the partners in the store, said the controlled-atmosphere packaging won’t be in his place of business.
“We don’t have any prepackaged meats here,” he said. “Something new. something different, like irradiated meat. You don’t much hear about that any more.”
Sun Mart: The grocery chain owned by Nash Finch does not use modified-atmosphere packaging, said spokesman Brian Numainville.
—Richard Piersol