I guess the question is not clear. CO is used as part of the MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) but it is also used as color retention in fish (tasteless smoke). For example, tuna is eaten raw as sashimi, and the desirable colour is red. However, with storage over time and continued exposure to oxygen, the red colour of the meat gradually changes to brown due to oxidation and the conversion of oxymyoglobin to a brown pigment metmyoglobin. CO gas has been used to treat tuna meat in order to retain its 'fresh' red colour for a longer period of time by converting brown colour to desirable red colour. I do not know much about the issue, but I do believe some countries allow the use (Norway and US) while EU does not currently recognize the use of CO treatments for seafood. It is not a health issue, but a quality issue.
Nelson Fok
Associate Director
Environmental Public Health
Capital Health
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
nfok@cha.ab.ca
> ----------
> From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu[SMTP:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu] on behalf of P Howgate[SMTP:phowgate@clara.co.uk]
> Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 3:25 AM
> To: ahmed al-hosni; seafood@ucdavis.edu
> Subject: Re: carbon monoxide treatment in tuna
>
> Treatment of tuna with carbon monoxide
>
> If by hazard you mean a hazard to the health of a consumer of tuna treated
> with carbon monoxide then there does not appear to be a risk to health.
> There is a review of safety aspects of tuna in meat by Sorheim, O., Aune, T,
> & Nesbakken,T. Technological, hygienic and toxicological aspects of carbon
> monoxide used in modified-atmosphere packaging of meat, Trends in Food
> Science & Technology, 1997, 8, 307-312. The review refers to meat being
> packaged in gas mixtures containing 60-70% carbon dioxide, 30-40% nitrogen,
> and less than 0.5% CO. The authors concluded there was no health risk to
> consumers of meat packaged in this mixture. The subject of carbon
> monoxide-treated meat has also been reviewed for the European Commission:
> Scientific Committee on Food, 2001, Opinion of the Scientific Committee on
> Food on the use of carbon monoxide as component of packaging gases in
> modified atmosphere packaging for fresh meat. SCF/CS/ADD/MSAd/204 Final.
> European Commission, Health, Consumer Protection Directorate-General,
> Brussels, Belgium, http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/out112_en.pdf.
> The Conclusions section of the report states:
>
> "The Committee therefore concluded that there is no health concern
> associated with the use of 0.3%-0.5% CO in a gas mixture with CO2 and N2 as
> a modified atmosphere packaging gas for fresh meat provided the temperature
> during storage and transport does not exceed 4ºC. However the Committee
> wishes to point out that, should products be stored under inappropriate
> conditions, the presence of CO may mask visual evidence of spoilage."
>
> I am not aware of any corresponding reviews in respect of us of CO in fish.
> However, the possible risk to human health of CO in fish is not the issue;
> in some countries its use is classed as a food additive or a process and is
> subject to regulation.
>
> Peter Howgate
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ahmed al-hosni" <al_hosniahmed@hotmail.com>
> To: <seafood@ucdavis.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 6:50 AM
> Subject: carbon monoxide treatment in tuna
>
>
> >
> >
> > Dear All,
> >
> >
> > If possible, could someone highlight the associate hazard when using
> > carbon monoxide treatment in tuna loins in particular with Thunnus
> > albacares.
> >
> >
> > Thank you in advance
> >
> > Ahmed Al-Hosni
> > Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
> > Sultanate of Oman
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon May 09 2005 - 08:33:34 PDT