Detrimental Effects of Aerobic & High Oxygen Packaging on Meat Quality: 2x Higher Lipid & Cholesterol Oxidation, Less Tender, More Drip Loss, Less Juicy... but More Convenient!
Rosy, but rusty: "Fresh" meat packaged with 70% oxygen. I don't know about the US, but most of the "fresh" meat, you buy at the Supermarket here in Germany is packaged in what the label calls a " Schutzatmosphäre ". Literally translated this means nothing but a "protective atmosphere" and it refers to the supposedly bacteria-free high oxygen air that's pumped into the airtight packaging in which the chicken breasts and beef steaks, the pork and lamb and all the other appetizingly looking meats are stored for up to a week in the fridges of the meat counter. Good to now it's protected! Right? If you ever bought a product like that you will have realized that you can easily store it for the whole 7day+ period in you fridge and - as long as the airtight plastic container is not broken - it will look and smell almost as it did on day one, when you rip the container open and take a closer look, whether the meat you are about to prep...