Fresh beef was modified-atmosphere packaged in carbon monoxide or oxygen to prolong red surface color. After comparison of several packaging method using carbon monoxide, steaks pretreated with 5% carbon monoxide for 24 hours and then vacuum packaged had the best combination of color and microbial stability (5 weeks), with the least potential for carbon monoxide inhalation. In the evaluation of ground beef in high-oxygen, modified-atmosphere-packaging, thiobarbituric-acid numbers increased over time, and the flavor was disliked slightly after 6 or 10 days of storage at 2° Celsius. The antioxidant effect of milk-mineral was tested in raw and cooked ground pork stored refrigerated or frozen. Thiobarbituric-acid numbers were low for all raw treatments. For cooked ground pork, thiobarbituric-acid numbers were lower for samples with milk-mineral or sodium-tripolyphosphate, compared to control or samples with butylated-hydroxytoluene. Sodium-tripolyphosphate, a type 2 antioxidant (iron chelator), was also very effective in preventing heme degradation during refrigerated storage.