RE: Sad news - veering offtopic

["Neil, David M" <neildm@id.doe.gov>]

Actually, the 'browning' of raw meat you have referred to is caused by the depletion of the oxygen in the hemoglobin (myoglobin in muscle, actually).  When it is exposed again to air, it 'blooms' back to the red color.



Dead is a relative term.



Dave Neil



-----Original Message-----

From: Otto G. Raabe [mailto:ograabe@UCDAVIS.EDU]

Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 10:06 AM

To: BERNARD L COHEN

Cc: internet RADSAFE

Subject: Re: Sad news





At 10:09 AM 3/5/03 -0500, BERNARD L COHEN wrote:

	--It is tightly packed and sealed in plastic (to keep out germs)

>with no room for air. How can it then oxidize? Canned beef doesn't become

>discolored even after months in the can. The plastic is quite tough,

>requiring a sharp knife and reasonable pressure to cut thru it.

*********************************************************

March 5, 2003



Maybe it is the oxygen in the blood hemoglobin and in the tissue and in the

air in the package. Is it packed in nitrogen?  I think there is plenty of

oxygen available. Is raw beef packed in a can? Cooked beef is well oxidized.



Cheers...



Otto



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Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP

Center for Health & the Environment

(Street Address: Bldg. 3792, Old Davis Road) 

University of California, Davis, CA 95616

E-Mail: ograabe@ucdavis.edu

Phone: (530) 752-7754   FAX: (530) 758-6140

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