pink slime meat product in burger meat?

did anyone see that pink slime segment on the news about adding a textured meat additive to about 70% of all burger meat sold in US? OMG, what next?

The sad part is the FDA allows it and the person who approved it is now on the board of the company that produces it!

And it doesn't have to be declared on the label!
 
And where does our government want to send this meat?  Where else, the school lunch program!
 
I guess I missed "Pink Slime" on the NEW food pyramid. 
 
LINK with info.  I say send a couple boxes over to the White House and Capital.  I would like to see our fearless leaders choke down some pink slime before feeding it to our kids.

I guess you can tell, this has me MIFFED!  If given a choice, who in there right mind would say, "give me some of that pink slime in my ground beef"?  This is our government at its worst.  Shameful.
 

Back to basics people. Thats the price we pay for having a free market economy. So.... leaving government out of it, lets just go back to grindin our own. U all save the pennies and grind ya own beef and fat. Take care of your customers. Where i live, seafood is cheap as $###+ but I wont serve BP's side product with it to my customers. The point is that we have to be the responsible ones here since we feed people.

Sounds to me that the government is allowing us to make our own call.  No nanny state telling us we can't have pink slime if we want it.  Let the marketplace decide.

I get my burger fresh every morning. It is ground from choice shoulder clod.....
makes a great burger.
Ever buy burger in a chub?   That's got lots of pink slime in it.

 
I have seen a few stories on the "pink slime".  While there is definitely an "eeewwwww" factor, I'm curious if it is actully dangerous to eat?    I have not seen a single claim yet by anyone or in any story that says it is actually unsafe to eat.   Is there a real safety issue here, or is more of an "icky image" type of thing?    Imagine if hot dog makers had to say "animal intestines" instead of the more euphonistic and more innocent sounding "natural casing".    There would be a bit of negative reaction to that, too.     
 
Anyway, I do think that if the pink slime is used, it should be required to be put on the labeling.   
 
Glenn
 
 

This has been in the news since the 2009 story by the NYT.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html?pagewanted=all
In was the school lunch program that blow the whistle on BP products or beef containing BP 'pink slime'.    ... I think much of the contamination problem stems from the exemption from USDA testing normally required for other ground beef products.    ... Then there is the 'icky' factor and the taste change due to higher concentration of ammonium hydroxide in the beef.
 
As far as the 'Let the marketplace decide'   ... the 'pink slime' (aka, ammonium treatment) is not required nor is it listed on the packaged product.  The public consumer (end user) does not have the informed knowledge to make that decision.
 
Oh .. BTW   ... I grind my own  ....

Dare we ask what goes into a hot dog? Ignorance is bliss.

This is a good example of media hysteria resulting from a basic lack of understanding of what is in your food.  Ammonium hydroxide is used in a lot of different food products:http://www.foodinsight.or...Use_in_Food_Production
Did Jamie pour cleaning ammonia in a batch of bread dough, or chocolate for a cake frosting, or perhaps a batch of cheese?   
This guy created a lot of hysteria about this and is ultimately going to hurt his credibility with food professionals.  
Food is a and will continue to be a very costly item to produce and process.  The use of commonly known materials such as ammonium hydroxide in food processing has been around for decades.  
So do yourselves a favor and don't listen fully to the first TV chef that does such a poor job of explaining the details and creates hysteria at the same time.  
Now on the other side of this should meat producers be allowed to add emulsified meats to products that would normally now have them...no.  If I buy ground round, it should be just that ground round cut of beef.  Now if I buy ground beef...what is specifically in ground beef.  That question should be answered and disclosed.  There are some products that already require labeling of their use of MSM or MDM.  Google mechanically separated meat and you will further your understanding.  
Stories like the above make good video, but long term IMHO they turn out to be more hype than fact.
I think J oliver has done a lot of good in talking about nutrition and getting people to better their eating habits, but shame on him for creating hysteria like this just to make a buck in a TV show.
In response to the above also...Hot dogs are normally made from meat emulsions.  They may look similar to some of the pink slime videos out there, and I'm sure some will come to the conclusion that emulsified meats are somehow connected with rendering scraps....ask your hot dog maker.  
I've attached a video showing how emulsified meats are made.  
http://www.youtube.com/wa...wo&feature=related
The machine is called a bowl cutter or buffalo chopper in the states.  It has a high speed blade that rotates and so does the bowl at slow speed.  The meat used is usually good grade beef, pork, chicken, lamb, or a combination but its meat, same cuts you may purchase at a grocery store, he adds ice instead of water as the chopping process will start to heat up the mixture due to friction.  He keeps monitoring the temperature to make sure it stays below a set limit while the emulsion is forming.  He adds a spice mixture, then more ice, then some fatty cuts to add texture to the emulsion.  Pink slime no, emulsified meat yes, as in hot dogs mortadella (boloney).

I'm beginning to have a whole new respect for Texas Brisket. 
 
As cheap as that cut is, at least I can see what I'm eating!

joerogo


I guess you can tell, this has me MIFFED!  If given a choice, who in there right mind would say, "give me some of that pink slime in my ground beef"?  This is our government at its worst.  Shameful.

HOLY SH*T!
 
If you didn't take the time to see this video from above:  TAKE THE TIME!
---------------
 
(Now I feel like such a fool for laughing at Mrs. Metro's insistence at going to Whole Foods and having the butcher grind our beef to order).

MetroplexJim


I'm beginning to have a whole new respect for Texas Brisket. 

As cheap as that cut is, at least I can see what I'm eating!

Don't be too sure google pumping brisket.  Any cut of meat can be enhanced as they like to call it, or pumped, as the USDA allows a maximum 20% of the basic meat block weight to be added to that product in the form of water or brine, or ...well do you know what?  Anything you buy labeled enhanced can contain up to 20% water.  Now if I'm selling meat and can charge say 10 bucks a pound and can then legally put 20% water in that cut of meat...well you do the math.

Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

Sounds to me that the government is allowing us to make our own call.  No nanny state telling us we can't have pink slime if we want it.  Let the marketplace decide. 

 
Bruce, I totally agree with your Libertarian view on this matter.  Only problem is, no labeling.
 
If there was a sign over the burgers in the school lunch line declaring pink slime, even the kindergarten kids would know enough to walk away.  Given a clear list of ingredients, I think the marketplace would judge this product harshly.

I did a quick check and found that Cargill makes their own version of the 'pink slime', aka 'Cargill Meat Solutions'.   Cargill does not used 'ammonium hydroxide' but uses citric acid in antimicrobial treatment to sterilize beef trimmings.    .... I believe Cargill is the supplier for Walmart, Cosco, Wegmans, Hy-Vee and others.

edwmax, I send a request for information to Wegman's and got this response:
 
"Thank you for your inquiry.   While most ground beef contains a small percentage of boneless lean beef trimmings, our processor (Cargill Meat Solutions), does not use ammoniated meat products in the production of fresh ground beef for Wegmans.  Our supplier tests all of our ground beef products for E.coli O157:H7 before it leaves the plant and the boxes are numbered so it can be tracked once it gets to the store and is packaged for retail sale. Our supplier abides by all regulatory requirements in making ground beef.  Additionally, all Wegmans specifications are met in the process." 
 

Sensing that I was gettting the "double-Talk Shuffle", I questioned them further:

 

"Hi Bridget,
Thank you for the quick response, but I do want you to clarify.  Is there "Pink Slime" in your ground beef or not?  The first sentence in your response muddied the waters a little.
Joe"

I am waiting for their response.  I am really miffed that #1, a market would put something like this in my food without telling me, and #2, the USDA lets them get away with it.

I am not talking about buying a hot dog here, it's friggin ground beef!

 

Hahahaha   ... Cargill does not used the ammonia in their product.   I think it might be a patten/process infringement if they did (???). 
 
I think the correct question is:    "Does their (Wemans) ground beef contain LFLB (lean finely textured beef) made from beef trimmings sterilized by Ammonia treatment, antimicrobial treatment, or any other process?"

MetroplexJim
   ........

HOLY SH*T!
 
If you didn't take the time to see this video from above:  TAKE THE TIME!
---------------

...............

Sensational reporting on his part.   The description of the process is not entirely accurate.     The Trimming are low temperature rendered to liquify the oil fat. Then spun in a centrifuge to remove the oil (yes, spin cycle of a washing machine).  What is left is the wasted lean meat, fat solids, & fiber.   The left over solids are then treated with Ammonium Gas & water.   The oil is sold to the oil processors for cooking oil.
 
I agree this stuff should be on the product label and the use of Ammonia should be labeled.   I do understand that ammonia is a natural occurring compound in living cells, but when ammonia is artificially added to a higher concentration than natural;  ... It is additive!   
 
BTW   ...water is natural within meat; and it has to be noted on the label if added to the product.   Why not ammonia????

It's a matter of choice being taken away from you.
 
Label it and you can choose to eat or not to eat. Many folks stopped eating at the big fast food joints who were servings food made with pink slime (Mc D & Taco Bell??). But put it in the school lunchroom and your children are forced to eat it. After all the lunch police/government have determined they know better than parents what a child should eat. $$ got put in someone's pocket for this decision.

Labeling would certainly provide the consumer with more information, but shouldn't that be left up to the companies selling ground beef?  Federal laws that require information on labels just adds to the burdensome regulations placed upon our lives.  The companies have to spend the money to design the labels, the government has to enforce the laws, verify that the company is being honest if they don't claim to use pink slime.  If the company does not comply then there's a whole enforcement mechanism that has to kick in - inspectors, lawyers, fines, etc.  All this costs the taxpayer money.  Why should I have to pay for all this government intrusion if I don't care about pink slime, or if I don't eat ground beef, or if I grind my own?
 
The marketplace can sort this out.  The consumer can apply pressure to companies to voluntarily put the info on their labels.  Or we can ask the stores directly if they use pink slime, like some have already done.  Just isn't right to get the government involved in yet one more little detail of life.  Don't they do too much already?  And who says there's anything wrong with pink slime anyway?

My refference link for Cargill's 'pink slime' product is http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/03/09/030912-news-pink-slime-1-2/   ... it contains a quote from Mike Martin of Cargill describing their process.

lornaschinske
  ..... But put it in the school lunchroom and your children are forced to eat it. ....

 
It's been in the school lunches for more than 10 years.   It was the USDA School Lunch Inspectors that blew the whistle and I believe BP products were banned 3 different times by the school lunch program because of testing failures.
 
This is an example of 'one side' of the USDA does not know what the 'other side' of the USDA is doing.

jcheese
Dare we ask what goes into a hot dog? Ignorance is bliss.

 
I hate that, not you but the statement. It's an ignorance among the general population that is perpetrated by the media that seems never ending. It's further enhanced by the process of making hot dogs. The grinding of meat, adding spice, shooting it thru a tube into a casing. Hot dogs are NOT made from pigs' snouts, meat scrapes laying on the floor of a butcher shop, and unused meat scraps (pig ears), that can't be used for anything else. They are made from meat trimmings that are carefully selected just like the meat you buy in your grocer's coolers. In fact I sell a hot dog $4.00 each made entirely from Brisket. And last summer I sold several several cases of hot dogs (I'd have to look it up to be exact) in a 5 hour  event. How? I gave everyone that walked by a sample and when they asked what it was I said just taste it and often as not folks when told it was a hot dog were shocked. Many said I don't want nor do I eat hot dogs, but I'll have one of those. Sorry for the rant J Cheese but my hot dogs are so good if I get an order for one and I haven't had lunch yet I fix two one for the customer and one for myself. LOL
 
This story (pink slime) is again the media trying to make a big deal out of nothing, but hopefully it won't last as long as the media inspired myth about hot dogs. Again J Cheese my apologizes.

And Weis Markets...
 
Thank you for your inquiry. Over the past couple of days, we’ve received
some questions on our ground beef and reports about how meat processors
take their beef trimmings and separate lean beef from fat.  This is an
automated process since it is impossible to do by hand. This process uses a
water based solution with trace elements of food grade ammonium hydroxide
which destroys illness-causing bacteria and produces a safer product.  This
solution is widely used in the processing of numerous foods, such as baked
goods, cheeses, gelatins, chocolate, caramels, and puddings.

This process also helps prevents the loss of valuable, lean, nutritious and
safe beef and it is part of an overall commitment to food safety. The final
product from this process is 95% lean beef, which is combined with ground
beef products we sell.  It is also important to note this product and all
other beef products are strictly regulated and inspected by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA).  In fact, USDA inspectors are working on
a daily basis in every meat processing plant in America.

We strongly believe the ground beef we sell is a safe and nutritious
product.

Thank you for using the Weis Customer Feedback System.

Carol Bainbridge
Weis Customer Service

i know i opened this bees nest,...yep, ive seen how they make hot dogs. thats why i consider myself a "hot dog connoisseur". anyone ever eat a yann dog in fairmont, wv? those things are so good, id pick one up off the floor and eat one. dont give a damn whats in it. it could be solid pink slime for all i care, laughing,...

Soylent Pink

edwmax

lornaschinske
  ..... But put it in the school lunchroom and your children are forced to eat it. ....

It's been in the school lunches for more than 10 years...

I wouldn't know. I homeschooled my kids (1996 until 2005, when they graduated). They are now 25 yo.  While they were going to public school, they didn't like the school lunches and always asked me to make their lunches.  Except for Headstart. They liked Ms Margret's food. She brought food from her garden... until the main office found out and put an end to that. Said she had to feed all those farm kids commercially canned food. That did not go over well with the kids.

joerogo


And Weis Markets...

Thank you for your inquiry. Over the past couple of days, we’ve received
some questions on our ground beef and reports about how meat processors
take their beef trimmings and separate lean beef from fat.  This is an
automated process since it is impossible to do by hand. This process uses a
water based solution with trace elements of food grade ammonium hydroxide
which destroys illness-causing bacteria and produces a safer product.  This
solution is widely used in the processing of numerous foods, such as baked
goods, cheeses, gelatins, chocolate, caramels, and puddings.

This process also helps prevents the loss of valuable, lean, nutritious and
safe beef and it is part of an overall commitment to food safety. The final
product from this process is 95% lean beef, which is combined with ground
beef products we sell.  It is also important to note this product and all
other beef products are strictly regulated and inspected by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA).  In fact, USDA inspectors are working on
a daily basis in every meat processing plant in America.

We strongly believe the ground beef we sell is a safe and nutritious
product.

Thank you for using the Weis Customer Feedback System.

Carol Bainbridge
Weis Customer Service

If I read this double-speak correctly, yes, they use pink slime! That girl should run for political office!!!

joerogo


And Weis Markets...

Thank you for your inquiry. Over the past couple of days, we’ve received
some questions on our ground beef and reports about how meat processors
take their beef trimmings and separate lean beef from fat.  This is an
automated process since it is impossible to do by hand. This process uses a
water based solution with trace elements of food grade ammonium hydroxide
which destroys illness-causing bacteria and produces a safer product.  This
solution is widely used in the processing of numerous foods, such as baked
goods, cheeses, gelatins, chocolate, caramels, and puddings.

.......................

Thank you for using the Weis Customer Feedback System.

Carol Bainbridge
Weis Customer Service

 
Wasn't this the same way Food Lion stores were washing smelling fish and other (old) meats, years ago, then putting it out for sale again?