Why CO makes meat look red longer
Color evaluation of carbon monoxide treated porcine blood
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lowering pH from 7.40 to 6.70 reduced CO needed for saturation, but going to 6.00 had no additional benefit.
Most people assume 'more acidic = more efficient,' but this shows a plateau effect—suggesting biological limits to how much pH can optimize CO binding.
Practical Takeaways
If you buy pre-packaged red meat, check the expiration date and smell it—don’t rely on color alone.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Lowering pH from 7.40 to 6.70 reduced CO needed for saturation, but going to 6.00 had no additional benefit.
Most people assume 'more acidic = more efficient,' but this shows a plateau effect—suggesting biological limits to how much pH can optimize CO binding.
Practical Takeaways
If you buy pre-packaged red meat, check the expiration date and smell it—don’t rely on color alone.
Publication
Journal
Meat Science
Year
2004
Authors
P.R Fontes, L.A.M Gomide, E.M Ramos, P.C Stringheta, J.F.M Parreiras
Related Content
Claims (4)
When you make pig blood more acidic (like adding lemon juice), it grabs onto carbon monoxide gas more easily — but only up to a point. Once it’s super acidic, it doesn’t grab any more gas than before.
If you keep pig blood in the fridge for four days, the kind treated with carbon monoxide stays bright red and looks fresher, while the untreated blood turns dull and fades in color.
If you treat pig blood with carbon monoxide, it stays looking fresh and red longer in the fridge than regular pig blood—like how some meats are kept looking bright red longer in stores.
In the U.S., stores can treat meat with carbon monoxide to make it look redder and fresher, but no one is required to track how much of this meat is sold or who eats it—so we don’t even know how common this exposure is.