Luce--About Labels on Injected Meat Products

[tex]

To be honest, I've never encountered a meat label that showed gluten in the ingredient list. As an example of what to look for, though, I've included a couple of lablels that I took off a package of Tyson's Pork Chops, that a friend brought along to a cookout, this past weekend. Since I was doing the cooking, I confiscated the labels off his package.

This label was attached to the top of the package, (IOW, the "face" of the package):



(Click on these thumbnail images to see an oversize image of them)

Note the second line from the top, where it says, "ENHANCED WITH UP TO A TWELVE PERCENT SOLUTION". That refers to the injected solution, which, in this particular case, amounts to twelve percent of the total weight. That line is in pretty small print, and is easily overlooked.

This label was attached to the bottom of the package, (IOW, the underside of the package):



Note the ingredient list in the center, near the bottom, where it lists Pork, Water, Sodium Phosphate, and Salt. Everything but the pork, is part of the injected solution, of course.

Notice that they choose to separate the notification of the injected solution from the ingredient list, (by putting them on completely different labels, on opposite faces of the package, and they do not specifically list the ingredients in the injected solution. The customer is left to figure that out herself, (or himself). IOW, they go out of their way in order to confuse the customer about this deceptive practice, but apparently they meet the requirements of the labeling laws.

The actual labels are much smaller than I've shown in the "enlarged" views. The top label is two and a quarter inches wide, by three inches tall, and the bottom label is two and five-sixteenths inches tall, by four inches wide.

Tex

[Lucy]

Wayne,

We should all refuse to buy products that have illegible labels, especially since they are even illegible when they are blown up, like that ingredients label. Good thing I didn't test my new glasses out by trying to read one of those. There was even one number on the phone no. to contact that was illegible!

Oh well, hope you enjoyed your cookout, and thanks for the demo -- perfect example of some of the problems we have, isn't it?

Thanks again,
Yours, Luce