General Discussion

Since I've personally eaten green colored US Navy pork chops, developed by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, I've determined the gray slab is just another miracle of meat-science from the lab.

From AI:

The "gray slab of processed meat" developed by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center is a pioneering type of restructured meat designed for military field rations (MREs) starting in the 1960s. It is the direct precursor to modern commercial restructured meat products, most notably the McDonald's McRib,

Key Details About the Processed Meat:

Purpose: Natick food technologists were tasked in the 1960s with creating a cheaper, stable alternative to whole-muscle steaks and chops, using meat trimmings and waste products.
The Process: Flesh is scraped from the bone, ground into flakes, and mixed with salt and sodium phosphate to create a "meat glue" (exudate) that binds the particles together. This allows the meat to be molded into shapes like patties or cutlets, including a fake rack of ribs.

Appearance/Texture: The resulting "restructured steak" or "meatlike blob" has a distinct, uniform, and often gray or uniform-color appearance, designed to be edible after long periods in vacuum-sealed packaging.
Commercial Impact: The army partnered with private industry for trial runs, including meatpacking companies in Ohio and fast-food chains like Denny's. The technology was later adopted by McDonald's, with the McRib being a close commercial equivalent to the military’s original product.

Modern Advancements (2010s-Present):
Natick Laboratory continues to work on advanced meat products, such as "super-flat" dehydrated meat sheets developed by scientist Tom Yang, which can remain shelf-stable for years without refrigeration.

Bon Appétit