It might be time to go cold turkey on red meat

Q. My in-laws insist that beef sold in most supermarkets is dyed red, and they soak their meat to remove the dye. Is this true?

My oldest daughter has hives often, and we have traced their occurrence to red food dye. Occasionally, she will have an ongoing case of hives that we can't trace. We think it must be stress-related, but now I wonder if it might be caused by meat consumption. Aren't meat-packaging companies required to list dye on package labels if they add it?

A. Red meat starts out red, but the longer it sits on store shelves, the more it turns brown. This is not a sign that the meat is bad, but most consumers will bypass it for redder meat. In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration gave several large meat packers permission to inject carbon monoxide into the meat package. This makes the meat stay red, often even after the product has spoiled. While the amounts used probably will not cause health problems, it does lend itself to other difficulties. Most consumers are unaware of this "additive." It is not listed on the label because it does not get injected directly into the meat. It also increases the chances (should your supermarket be less than honest) of purchasing outdated or spoiled meat.

I don't know whether some U.S. meats contain red dye. I do know that some meat companies in the United Kingdom are under scrutiny for adding food dyes that may cause cancer.

If you are truly concerned about additives in your meat, you may want to buy them from a butcher shop. This way, you get fresh meat without the fear of additives from major meat packers. Another option is simply to stop eating red meat. Chicken, turkey and fish contain the same amount of protein, have less fat and can be used in place of beef or pork in most dishes.

Take your daughter to an allergist to be tested. Perhaps she is allergic to more than red food dyes. You can find out the cause of her hives, provide treatment and improve the quality of her life. If the hives are truly stress related, perhaps counseling to learn ways to deal with stress is in order.

Q. I have donated over 3 gallons of blood over the past few years. Blood donation is important, and I am glad I can do it. Despite calls over the past couple of months from my blood bank wanting my particular blood type, I've been reluctant to go. The reason is that for the past year or so, I have begun having burning sensations and pain in and around the area where the needles are inserted. What's going on? Should I continue to donate blood from that arm?

A. Donating blood is safe. Perhaps you are experiencing problems now because of your history of donating. If you use the same arm each time, you may have developed scar tissue at the place the needle is inserted. This could be pushing on the sensitive tissues and nerves in your arm, causing the pain and burning. If you still want to donate blood, try using a different vein. Perhaps one in your hand, your other arm or even your foot will work as well.

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