Thursday Thoughts - the FDA, GRAS and Meat Glue

image by piyato via freedigitalphotos.net

Fine folks of the FDA,

I've got a few things I need to say

about a fact I learned the other day.

You approved the use of meat glue?

Well, to be precise, they notified you

and you accepted their research as true

and enough to see what it would do

if you allowed Transglutaminase

to work it's magical ways

on processed meats and seafood

without really telling us.  (How rude.)

I'm sure it would have been rough to write

a press release that sounded just right...

"We generally accept it as safe for you to eat

pieces of glued together scrap-mignon meat."

... but hearing the truth would've been neat.

I've worked in restaurants and catering

doing the "serve people for tips" thing,

but have never, ever heard anything

about this way to make meat scraps cling.

Your food safety tactics there seem quite crazy.

Or perhaps it's that you're understaffed and/or lazy?

I feel like the FDA's purpose is hazy.

Aren't we the ones who you should protect?

This notification process you use seems derelict,

like the ones thoroughly checked are random picked

or chosen due to a food scare or outbreak,

saying that's a risk they can take

with this weird thing that they make.

I suppose I should be thanking you for helping wreck beef.

For me, craving ruminants less will be a relief.

The issue now is avoiding strange GRAS listed food,

the thought of which brings out my super sour mood.

I've heard of, "The more you spend, the more you save!"

It's the motto that makes luxury bargain shoppers cave.

I hope yours isn't, "This looks fun to try out for a while."

Is that really the mark of your signature style?

Please ponder what the heck you've allowed in our food piles.

Thank you,

Rachel Hoyt

of Rhyme Me a Smile