#$%^&*AU2006230701B220130131.pdf#####MEAT TREATMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS Abstract The present invention relates to the use of carbon monoxide as a process aid to decrease the time it takes for the ground beef myoglobin pigment to be reduced from oxymyogolin to the deoxymyoglobin state. Ground beef must presently go through a curing stage of 24 hours to 8 days for the oxymyoglobin to reduce to deoxymyoglobin, which presents a desirable purple colour for the raw meat. In the present invention the curing process is interrupted when some of the ground beef is not completely cured, i.e., still in the metmyoglobin stage, and the ground beef is packaged in a treatment gas containing carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide converts the myoglobin into carboxymyoglobin, which has a desirable bright-red cherry colour.
