Gas packaged meat?

I ran across a story in Mother Earth News magazine that was surprising and disturbing to me.
Meat is increasingly being sold in stores gas packaged, or injected with salt water and broth. "Manufacturers save millions of dollars in lost meat turnover with these technologies, which make meat appear fresh longer and pump 'flavor' into factory-farmed meat, in the form of salt water and broth. Companies also save on labor costs, since these 'case-ready' meats can go straight from the cold truck to the retail shelf."
The article goes on to say: "This trend has everything to do with the larger transformation of meat production over the past 30 to 40 years. Meat without character or taste comes from livestock developed for rapid growth rather than flavor, fed grain instead of grass, given growth hormones, cooped up indoors, harvested young, and sold without traditional aging."
And, perhaps worst of all: "Finally, critics point out that saltwater pumping and gas packaging make it more likely that consumers will buy and eat spoiled meat, and almost certain that they’ll be eating old meat without realizing it. Traditionally packaged ground beef has a shelf life of about five days, while modified atmospheric packaging can give ground beef a shelf life of 14 or even 28 days, says Tony Corbo of the Washington D.C.-based Food and Water Watch. In fact, Consumer Reports found in 2006 that three out of 10 gas-packed ground beef samples had spoiled by their use- or freeze-by date. But all of it still looked nice and red."
At home, we've been increasingly leaning towards organic produce and meats produced without the use of hormones.
My other problem with this report is also that StfRon recently found he has high blood pressure, and should be watching his sodium intake. I would have thought that the meats we bought would only be a sodium concern if we chose to season them with salt-laden products.
If you want to try to avoid this, be sure to check the label for sodium or other additives, and look for the puffed up package, usually a heavier foam package with the plastic wrap being puffed out by the extra gas. No butcher paper or white foam packages with Saran-type wrap around these babies.
Guess this is yet another reason we'll buy our meats at Lindy's, Naturally Yours, Pottstown Deli, Alwan's, or some other local joint.