Pink slime rundown
Mimi Wang
Lean finely textured beef trimmings, (LFTBT) or ‘pink slime,’ is dog-grade boneless beef trimmings that have been deemed unfit for human consumption. LFTBT is made of beef scraps that have been mechanically separated from fat and then disinfected with ammonium hydroxide to kill off bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella.
Commonly used as meat filler, LFTBT can be found in 70 percent of ground beef bought from the supermarket. The meat filler is banned in the UK and recently fast food giants McDonald’s, Burger King, and Taco Bell have made the decision to stop using products that contain LFTBT.
However, it’s still served in the National School Lunch program because according to the USDA, beef containing LFTBT is “safe, nutritious, and affordable.” In a New York Times expos?
