It is in major super market chains, even inside our school cafeterias.
"Pink Slime" also known as "lean finely textured beef." It's fatty scrap beef with ammonia, and even though many people may object to it is perfectly legal.
The scrap beef has ammonia added to kill bacteria, but in the recent weeks it's become the target of controversy.
The U-S-D-A hasn't said it poses a threat or is even unhealthy.” Lean finely textured beef" also known as "Pink Slime" is found in ground beef, sold in many supermarkets and it could even be in the beef that you are eating.
Donna Fenton Chief Environmental Health Specialist from the Kern County Department of Public Health, says it is raising a lot of concerns from consumers. She says, “Pink Slime has generated a lot of concern and although the USDA has deemed it as safe it is probably not the most wholesome or nutritionist product."
It's processed from a fatty scrap beef that is heated to remove the fat and to kill pathogens.
Three thousand pounds of ground beef with pink slime have been served in Kern County High School District cafeterias already this year.
Food services director Sharon Briel says she opted out because she feels regular natural ground beef is better quality. She says, “The ammoniated beef takes little bits of beef and treats it with a chemical so that's its safe to eat and treats it and what bothered me was the texture of the ground beef.”
The Kern High School District Food Services Department says there haven’t been any health concerns from this. However, the USDA will provide schools with a choice to order product either with or without the product.
So, what is "Pink Slime" and why is it going inside our ground beef?
Ferton says, “It is probably not the most wholesome or nutritious product, it is classified as beef, so when they put it in there it is not classified as an additive or a filler.”
Local supermarkets like Martin's Meat and Deli market don't use "Pink Slime" inside their ground beef.
They feel it's important to provide their consumers with a product that is 100% natural.
At one point McDonald's considered using the ammonia basked pink slime in their ground beef, but later decided not to.
