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SALT LAKE CITY — Meat glue isn't something we would find in an arts and crafts store, but chefs can use it to bind smaller pieces of meat together, passing it off as a New York strip or filet mignon and selling it for a better price. And a California state senator wants to launch an investigation to make sure meat glue is safe.
The practice is legal and the meat glue is non-toxic, though diners should be told if their steaks are bonded, according to Daren Cornforth, professor of food sciences at Utah State University.
"If they buy such a product in a supermarket, labeling would be needed to inform the consumer that they must not cook this to a rare state, because it would be inadequate to kill the bacteria that may be there," he said.
Transglutaminase, the official name of the powder, is a protein byproduct that acts as a bonding agent.
Meat glue is not as common in Utah as it is in other states, according to Cornforth.
