Target (NYSE: TGT) announced something interesting this week. The nation's second-largest discount retailer said it will seek U.S. government approval to add a consumer warning to labels of meat treated with carbon monoxide. In a way, it is saying that all that fresh-looking red meat sold in its SuperTarget stores and other locations with grocery sections already carries meat with added chemicals.

Carbon monoxide, along with disgusting chemicals like sodium nitrite, is used to keep dead meat looking fresh and bright red, long after it has naturally lost its color in the process of being transported and stocked at your local grocer. However, the lack of information given to customers about these chemicals and additives to artificially keep some products presentable (while being a threat to health) bothered Target, apparently.

Target sells meat in 210 of its 1,537 stores, and wants to add verbiage to all red meat labels that reads: "Consumer Notice: Carbon monoxide has been used to preserve the color of this product. Do not rely on color or the 'use or freeze by' date alone to judge the freshness of the product. For best results please follow the Safe Handling Instructions."

Wow -- is this a move by Target to differentiate itself from other mainstream grocers in the actual information it gives to consumers about the products it supplies to them? If so, we could see other grocery retailers follow this model. It's a novel concept, you know -- actually empowering consumers with decision-making information. Kudos to Target here.