Jim Hightower

Time for another "Gooberhead Award" [Beaniecap breakdown], presented periodically to someone in the news who has their tongue running 100 miles per hour... but forgot to put their brain in gear.

Today we have three Goobers, all trying to convince us consumers that there's nothing devious or dangerous about the politically-powerful meat industry using "modified atmosphere packaging."

Tyson, Wal-Mart, and other food giants have been gassing their pre-cut packaged meats with carbon monoxide, which turns a steak puckishly pink. This makes weeks-old meat appear to be as fresh as the day it was cut. But, wait – we've been taught that the clearest indicator of freshness is the meat's color: Pink, good. Brown, bad. It's raw consumer deception to let industry pass off old meat as pink and fresh.

Yet, the FDA has allowed just that, without even holding public hearings or requiring that gassed meat be labeled. Oh, says, Laura Tarantino, FDA's head of additive safety, "If we had evidence that consumers would be misled [by the color alteration]... we'd be concerned." Hello, Gooberhead, before you okayed this deception, you were given three separate studies showing that, indeed, meat shoppers do rely on color.

Then there's Ann Boeckman, a Washington lobbyist for one of the meat gassers. This Goober gaily proclaims that perpetually-pink meat won't cover up spoilage because bad meat will have "slime formations and a bulging package." Gosh, Ann, I'd really rather have a clue before the meat turns totally rotten, wouldn't you?

John Catsimatidis is Goober Number Three. Honcho of a grocery store chain selling the pink stuff, John has no patience with those who're balking at the trick meat: "This is what's going to happen in the meat business," he says flatly.

This is Jim Hightower saying... If you consumers would like to have something to say about that, call STOP – Safe Table Our Priority:"802) 863-0555.