Topic: pink slime

Beef Products Inc, Maker Of Pink Slime, Ridiculously Suing ABC For Defaming Pink Slime

Remember back when everyone was shocked–SHOCKED–to learn that their ultra-inexpensive hamburger meat contained something other than high-quality, pure beef? Ah, the days of pink slime. Those were cooky times–and they led a lot of grocery stores and fast food joints to clean up their meat. But for Beef Products Inc, the maker of the ammonia-treated beef goo, that revelation was a crushing blow to business. So they’re suing ABC for defamation. Of course, if their product wasn’t gross to begin with, they probably wouldn’t be in this predicament. More »

Thought Pink Slime Was Disgusting? There Is Glue In Your Steak.

If pink slime grossed you out, how about some glue with your steak? Yep, the beef industry has been using transglutaminase–a “meat glue”– to bind together different pieces of meat (possibly from more than one cow) to look like a single steak, and now that’s being called into question after the recent debacle with pink slime. It’s disgusting, really. More »

Are ‘Pink Slime’ Critics Really Worried About Food Safety, Or Just Snooty and Squeamish?

“Pink slime,” or “lean finely textured beef,” is the food that just won’t go away—in the media or from our plates, in a lot of places. But should we really be upset? Some don’t think so—and they’re not just the “Beefstate Governors” that Stephen Colbert mocked earlier this week. Many are defending the processed meat product as completely safe and reasonably nutritious; others are mostly arguing that, well, it’s gross. But despite some fairly salient arguments in favor of keeping the slime (or “LFTB”) in our food system (that it’s a more efficient use of resources, giving the environment and our economy a boost), I don’t think that opponents are just being “snooty” and ignoring facts. Because there’s still reason to be concerned about putting this stuff in our bodies. More »

The Economy Is No Reason To Continue Feeding Us Pink Slime

Last week I wrote about how Governor Rick Perry and two other governors were setting a bad example by sampling pink slime just to prove to all of us over-reacting Americans that it’s perfectly safe. One reader commented to me, “200 of my neighbors just lost their jobs today because of stupid people like you. They thank you.” Then I got an email from a friend who stated that boycotting pink slime will only make prices go up and lead to more economic struggles for blue collar factory workers. While I do feel bad when anyone loses a job, if these beef plants lose money for feeding Americans crap, then that’s a good thing. When is money going to stop being more important than health in this country?
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Stephen Colbert Addresses Pink Slime ‘Smear Campaign’

If anyone can make pink slime easier to swallow (pun intended), it’s Stephen Colbert. Colbert outlines what Governor Rick Perry calls a “smear campaign” against the highly processed beef and animal parts (which, for the record, Perry says should not be called “pink slime,” but “lean finely textured beef”)—because what could really be wrong with the chemically treated byproducts that were used only in dog food prior to 2001? More »

Rick Perry Sets Bad Example By Eating Pink Slime

Rick Perry and two other U.S. governors are going to publicly eat some “pink slime” just to prove to all of us that consuming this so-called meat which is made from cattle scraps that are then treated with ammonium hydroxide (to kill bacteria) is simply not bad for us. Yeah, right… More »

“Pink Slime” Beef Gets Dropped By More Grocery Stores, Including Safeway And Kroger

“Pink slime” may be safe to eat, but consumers have made it very clear that they think it’s nasty–and grocery stores and fast food chains are taking note. Responding to public outcry over the unappetizing meat product, Kroger, Safeway and Stop & Shop have both joined Whole Foods, A&P, and Costco in the decision to no longer sell ground beef that contains the controversial ingredient. McDonald’s, Burger King, and Taco Bell have all also stopped carrying beef products which contain the ingredient, which is also known as “lean finely-textured beef.” More »

USDA: “Pink Slime” Is Totally Safe…But Schools Can Serve Something Else, If They Want

The USDA is sticking to its guns when it comes to the safety of the so-called “pink slime” beef product that has outraged parents and consumer over the last two weeks. But, because of the aforementioned parents, the government branch has conceded to offer schools the option to use something else for their burgers, NPR reports. Yay? More »

If “Pink Slime” Beef Grosses You Out, Maybe It’s Time To Reconsider The Meat Industry In General

The internet is not happy about the use of the now-notorious, ammonia-filled “pink slime” beef product that, while McDonald’s recently decided to stop using, is still being served in the form of hamburgers in school lunches. Petitions are springing up, Twitter users are swearing off burgers for good, and people are generally surprised that ground beef–one of the meat products that is both historically the least safe and most packed with byproducts–may not be made entirely of pure, prime cuts. But here’s the thing about the “pink slime”: it’s not that different from other cheap ground beef, and, in many cases, may actually be safer. Maybe we should focus less on how gross “pink slime,” and more on how much crappy, unsafe ground beef we’re eating (and feeding our kids). More »