@Phoenix32890,
Today, there are several methods for preserving colour and taste and looking of fresh meat, unfortunately in North America and some other countries they are using "NITRITE" salts for maintaining colour of fresh meat.
As you may heard this substances are preservative and can be used in cured meat such as saussages but there are some method such as "Packaging fresh meat with NITRITE containing film" !!!!!!!!!
you can visit this link:
Edit [Moderator]: Link removed
BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT NITRITE IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH beacuse it will convert to NITROSAMINE when it reaches to stomach and contact with stmach acid ....and NITROSAMINE can lead to CANCER
You can visit this page which is about NITRITE in processed meats:
Edit [Moderator]: Link removed
... but as I mentioned above they are using NITRITE in fresh meat too which can increase the amount of daily consumption of NITRITE and may increase the rate of nitrosamine in our body and the risk for CANCER respectively.