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The Science Behind Discolored Food: Is Gray Ham Safe to Eat?

– Some things are as safe as the bank. Cheese is yellow, liver paste brownish gray and ham pink. That is to say: Not always.

On the shelf at Coop, we have several times seen pink pieces of ham that are grey-brown in spots along the edge. Is it safe to eat and why does this happen?

Therefore the color changes

– Gray toppings are not dangerous, but of course this looks unappetizing and is a quality deviation we are working to solve, says Harald Kristiansen, communications manager at Coop, to DinSide.

He points out that discoloration of products is not a separate phenomenon for Coop, but something that many people struggle with.

We’ve been trying to keep an eye on the ham rack for the past couple of weeks, but haven’t seen anything like it anywhere else. But maybe you have? Feel free to send us a photo or tip by email.

Packaging

What distinguishes Coop’s ham packages from the other chains’ own brands is the packaging. Coop’s ham packages are a mixture of plastic and gray paper. Could that be part of the explanation for the discolouration?

Kristiansen explains that the gray coloring of the ham is a complex problem that they are working to solve together with the supplier of the products.

– There are several factors that can affect the product, such as salt content, gas composition, pH and light intensity, all of which can affect the color of products containing nitrite over time, says Kristiansen and clarifies

– It is important to show that this is not dangerous or of poor quality. It just looks a bit gray and dull.

One of the pieces of advice that pops up on Tiktok is to avoid packages of meat that have bloated. But you don’t necessarily have to do that. Video: Embla Hjort-Larsen. Brittself20, Tiktok. Photo: Elisabeth Dalseg. view more

It’s a lot about expectations.

Our relationship with what is the normal color of meat has also changed. In 2004, the EU banned packing meat with carbon monoxide in the packaging, as this could trick consumers into thinking the meat was fresher and fresher than it actually was.

The first month after the gas was cut, sales fell by ten percentaccording to NRK, but as we got used to the new colour, sales picked up and stabilised.

2023-11-11 19:01:28
#grey

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