Industry defends ingredient critics deride as "meat glue"

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The U.S. meat industry on Thursday defended an additive that critics have called “meat glue,” saying the enzymes are safe, natural and not being used to deceive consumers. Recent reports have highlighted how meat processors use the enzymes, formally known as transglutaminase and beef fibrin, to bind smaller cuts of beef and pork and form consistently sized, uniformly shaped larger steaks. The U.S. …