MedicalConspiracies- MEAT GLUE - You *REALLY* didn't want to know about this.

http://www.zolkor.com/stuff/meatglue.htm

More than you ever wanted to know about: The industry-wide secret butchers don't want you to know about: Transglutaminase = Blood Clotter = Meat Glue Industrial and Culinary Applications Used in Meat, Fish, Chicken, Fish Balls, Surimi, Ham, Imitation Crabmeat, Sausage, Hot Dogs, Milk, Yogurt, Noodles, Shrimp Pasta and, more than likely, other products not mentioned here.   "Meat Glue comes in a number of forms. Some produced by cultivating bacteria the others, the primary ingredient, comes from the blood plasma of pigs and cattle - specifically the coagulant which causes blood to clot." "The white powder called "Meat Glue" is sold by the kilo. It's the meat industry's dirty little secret." It makes pieces of beef, pork, lamb, fish or chicken that would normally be thrown out ( or sold at a lower price) stick together so closely that it looks like a solid piece of meat....and you get to pay the premium price for less than premium meat.  BUT...that's not all....Transglutaminase *ALSO* plays a part in "Enabling" cancer in humans. See below by Dr. Kapil Mehta, Ph.D Meat Glue. Reports About Meat Glue On Youtube. Lots of info here about "Meat Glue" http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=meat+glue Meat Glue (  Orignally, I was sent this video...it's on the list above. This video is what got me started trying to find out more about Transglutaminase! You won't like what you find. ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXXrB3rz-xU Dr. Kapil Mehta, Ph.D Primary Appointment Professor, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Cancer Medicine (Biochemistry) , The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX   Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment Professor of Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX Research Interests Transglutaminase and cancer   Development of resistance to chemotherapy and spread of tumor cells to distant organs (metastasis) pose major impediment in successful treatment of cancer. In an attempt to delineate the nature of tumor-encoded genes whose expression contributes to the development of drug resistance and metastasis, we identified tissue transglutaminase (TGM2) is one such gene. TGM2 encodes a structurally and functionally complex protein (TG2), whose function is implicated in inflammation, wound healing, cell migration, apoptosis, and angiogenesis.  In cancer cells, TG2 expression is associated with poor drug response, increased metastatic potential, and poor patient survival. Its overexpression results in constitutive activation of [ cancer ] cell growth and [ cancer ] cell survival signaling pathways. Conversely, inhibition of TG2 by small-molecule inhibitors, antisense, ribozyme or small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been shown to inhibit tumor cell growth and invasiveness and to render cancer cells sensitive to chemotherapeutic drugs by promoting cell death both in vitro and in animal models. The immediate objectives of our laboratory efforts are to define the functions of TG2 that contribute to the development of drug resistance and metastasis in cancer cells. We believe that silencing of TG2 can deprive cancer cells of critical survival pathways and thus, TG2 represents an attractive therapeutic target for cancers in which TG2 is overexpressed.     Other areas of research interest in the lab Liposomes (lipid-vesicles) as drug delivery systems, integrin-mediated signaling pathways, retinoids (vitamin A and synthetic analogs) as differentiation-inducing agents http://faculty.mdanderson.org/Kapil_Mehta/Default.asp?SNID=1439615647 Transglutaminase From wikipeda - link below.   Industrial and culinary applications Used in Meat, Chicken, Fish, Fish Balls, Surimi, Ham, Imitation Crabmeat, Sausage, Hot Dogs, Milk, Yogurt, Noodles, Shrimp Pasta.     Three bistro tenders being joined together with Activa GS. They will set overnight before being unwrapped, sliced into portions, cooked, and served. In commercial food processing, transglutaminase is used to bond proteins together. Examples of foods made using transglutaminase include imitation crabmeat, and fish balls. It is produced by Streptoverticillium mobaraense[9] fermentation in commercial quantities or extracted from animal blood,[10] and is used in a variety of processes, including the production of processed meat and fish products. It can be used as a binding agent to improve the texture of protein-rich foods such as surimi or ham.[11] Transglutaminase is also used in molecular gastronomy to meld new textures with existing tastes. Transglutaminase can be used in these applications:[citation needed] Improving texture of emulsified meat products, such as sausages and hot dogs. Binding different meat parts into a larger ones ("portion control"), such as in restructured steaks Improving the texture of low-grade meat such as so-called "PSE meat" (pale, soft, and exudative meat, whose characteristics are attributed to stress and a rapid postmortem pH decline) Making milk and yogurt creamier Making noodles firmer Besides these mainstream uses, transglutaminase has been used to create some unusual foods. British chef Heston Blumenthal is credited with the introduction of "meat glue" into modern cooking. Wylie Dufresne, chef of New York's avant-garde restaurant wd~50, was introduced to transglutaminase by Blumenthal, and invented a "pasta" made from over 95% shrimp thanks to transglutaminase.[12] [edit] See also Surimi Boneless Fish Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transglutaminase     Comment by someone I know:   Other than hamburger, I now buy meat ONLY ON THE BONE so I KNOW it's REAL NATURAL meat.   I wondered about those boneless pork loin roasts…they flavor them to make them taste better…   I didn't know about this glue method, I was just suspicious of some meats not being NORMAL looking or texture right of what meat should be…..so I DON'T buy THOSE anymore.    UGH…I just bought some FROZEN boneless chicken breasts filets [ Co-Workers: Does this sound familiar?? ].   I cooked 2 of them and they were awful…maybe they have glue in them…they sure didn't "BITE" right or texture of a chicken breast.