The public outcry over pink slime being used in fast food restaurants recently caused McDonald's, Burger King and Taco Bell to stop using this pink slime as filler in their hamburgers and ground beef. But the USDA is still serving this pink slime to our children in school lunches and it is still in much of the ground beef you can buy.
| What is pink slime in our food? Pink slime is made from beef trimmings, beef scraps and cow connective tissues that are mechanically separated from the bones. These discarded beef trimmings are then ground up with ammonia hydroxide and water added to kill the E. coli and salmonella and then frozen. |
How Pink Slime in Our Food Was Approved
Carl Custer, a former USDA food safety inspector, and microbiologist first came across this product at Beef Products Inc. (BPI) in the late 1990s. His main problem with this so-called food was that it was not the nutritional equivalent to ground beef and that it was made from the connective tissue of the animal.
In an interview with The Daily, Custer said: “The word in the office was that Undersecretary JoAnn Smith pushed it through, and that was that”.
JoAnne Smith had previously been the president of the Florida Cattleman’s Association and the National Cattleman’s Association, was appointed to the USDA in 1989 by President George H. W. Bush.
Another USDA microbiologist, Gerald Zirnstein labeled this ammoniated beef, pink slime. In a 2002 memo, Mr. Zirnstein wrote “I do not consider the stuff to be ground beef, and I consider allowing it in ground beef to be a form of fraudulent labeling. [New York Times]
What Is Pink Slime
Pink slime is made from beef trimmings, beef scraps and cow connective tissues that are mechanically separated from the bones, food that was at one time only meant for pet food and rendering.
These discarded beef trimmings are then ground up with ammonia hydroxide and water added to kill the E. coli and salmonella and then frozen.
The finished product is a pink color and has been described as having the texture similar to batter, paste or Jell-O. This pink slime is now added to ground beef or hamburger patties.
In 2005, the FDA ruled that 15% of this ammoniated beef trimmings can be added to food without having to be labeled. The only way you might suspect this beef would be if it had an ammonia smell to it. Ammonia hydroxide is used in foods as a leavening agent and pH control in food.
With pink slime, the ammonia hydroxide is used to raise the pH level of the beef trimmings in order to kill pathogens like E. coli and salmonella.
Pink Slime and E. coli Outbreaks
In a USDA paper, Secretary Vilsack wrote that there has not been an outbreak of E. coli or salmonella in the school lunch program in over 10 years [USDA]. Yet the New York Times found that during inspection and testing of Beef Products Inc meat for the school lunch program, E. coli has been found three times and salmonella was found 48 times [New York Times].
School Lunches Program for Children
Most parents do not want their children eating this stuff. The US government believes that parents do not feed their kids healthy foods at home, so the government will feed them healthier foods at school. Pink slime is not a nutritious healthy part of a meal by any means. A turkey or peanut butter and jelly sandwich from home would be far healthier.It was recently announced that the USDA has a contract to buy 7 million pounds of the pink slime for the school lunch program. This isn’t new; the USDA has been buying this pink slime meat filler for the school lunch program for children since at least 2005.
Consumers
Consumers might be happy now that several fast food restaurants have said they are taking this pink slime out of their foods. But there is plenty of pink slime in consumer foods. Other fast food, regular restaurants, grocery store ground beef and the pre-made hamburgers you can buy at any store.
Consumers have a right to be mad, considering store bought food and restaurant food can be expensive and to find out it has basically some percentage of dog food in it. When the ad says “order it your way”, would that also mean leave out the pink slime. You have to wonder with the wood pulp and the pink slime used as fillers in hamburger, is there any beef in these foods anymore. Whatever happened to real food?
Is Pink Slime Still in Our Food?
There are some reports that pink slime is still in some school lunches. The economy is still slow and budgets are still tight, so some school districts have returned to using "beef substitutes" in their meals. Is it safe to eat? Yes, it is safe to eat, otherwise, the FDA would not allow it to be sold. But as a consumer, you have the knowledge to make your own decision on whether you want to eat this or not.
2014 Pink Slime Update
It appears that the companies that product pink slime are not happy over all of the exposure. The company, Beef Products Inc, sued ABC news in 2012 and recently has subpoenaed several writers in conjunction with this lawsuit. The case was settled, but the amount was not disclosed. In a statement, ABC said, "Throughout this case, we have maintained that our reports accurately presented the facts and views of knowledgeable people about this product”. [Reuters]
Conclusion
This mechanically separated meat also occurs with chicken and pork, though pork has to be labeled as mechanically separated. Is pink slime in our hamburger meat harmful? It could be more harmful since there have been numerous food borne illnesses associated with this pink slime.
Using these scrap animal parts as a portion of the food we buy and eat and not be labeled is just not fair to the consumer. Just like GMO foods, if the foods with the added pink slime were labeled, no one would buy them.
About the Author
Sam Montana is a certified Food Over Medicine instructor from the Wellness Forum Health Center and certified in optimal nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Copyright © Sam Montana 2012-2018
