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What “Pink Slime” actually is
Lean finely textured beef (LFTB) has been commonly referred to as “Pink Slime”. But, what is it exactly? Gregg Rentfrow, associate Extension professor of Meat Science at the University of Kentucky explains, “They take these lean trimmings and centrifuge them to remove the fat.” Rentfrow says because of the centrifugation process, there could be pathogens present and to ensure safety, the LFTB is “puffed” with ammonia hydroxide gas.
He says the ammonia hydroxide gas is not your household ammonia and has been on the Generally Recognized as Safe list for over 20 years. Rentfrow tells Brownfield the products used for Pink Slime have all gone through the USDA and FDA approval processes. “The meat science community was asked to create a safe product,” he says. “This enables us to create a safe and cheap food for the marketplace.” Because the trimmings would be used elsewhere, he says, “The industry was able to create a higher quality product to keep the price of food down.”
The US Department of Agriculture says while they believe the ammonia hydroxide treatment is safe, school districts wanted choices. According to USDA, beginning next fall schools will have the option to choose between 95 percent lean beef patties made with the product or less lean bulk ground beef that does not contain it.
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