Ground beef actually contains "pink slime"

[Pea-n-Me]

NY Times journalist Michael Moss won a Pulitzer Prize last year for this expose on ground beef.

(ETA this link might work better) http://www.pulitzer.org/archives/8816

 

[sunshinehighway]

Given that Oliver's presentation grossly misrepresented what this product is (as has many in this thread), I happily continue to eat hamburgers.

While I understand his demo was a simplified depiction of the process, everything I've read about it has brought me to the conclusion that it isn't something I want to eat.

The idea that this is added to ground beef and not told to those buying and eating that meat, is concerning to me. Is it because this is not something the general public would want in their food? My guess would be yes.

 

[sbell111]

Will you share your correct info? I would love to see the non- sensationalist truth, (I'm serious).

All this stuff is are trimmings that have been put in a centrifuge to separate the fat out. Then, the company uses a puff of food-grade ammonia gas to alter the ph in the beef to ensure that there is no risk of e coli.

 

[sbell111]

NY Times journalist Michael Moss won a Pulitzer Prize last year for this expose on ground beef.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/health/04meat.html

What that article ignores is a retraction that the Times had to post regarding one of their other sensationalist ground beef stories where they had to make it clear that no meat produced by Beef Products Inc. (the so-called 'pink slime') has ever been linked to any illnesses or outbreaks.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Wait...

"Pink slime" is based on the product, right?

There's pink slime in chicken nuggets, but that's "chicken pink slime". Whereas ground beef pink slime is "beef pink slime". Right?

Or do they use beef in both actual ground beef and chicken nuggets?

 

[sbell111]

Wait...

"Pink slime" is based on the product, right?

There's pink slime in chicken nuggets, but that's "chicken pink slime". Whereas ground beef pink slime is "beef pink slime". Right?

Or do they use beef in both actual ground beef and chicken nuggets?

I think that they are just too lazy to come up with different pejorative terms.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

What that article ignores is a retraction that the Times had to post regarding one of their other sensationalist ground beef stories where they had to make it clear that no meat produced by Beef Products Inc. (the so-called 'pink slime') has ever been linked to any illnesses or outbreaks.

Could you post a link to the retraction, please?

 

[sbell111]

Could you post a link to the retraction, please?

retraction

An editorial on Sunday mischaracterized the safety record of ground meat produced by Beef Products Inc. The editorial said incorrectly that two 27,000-pound batches of processed beef had been recalled. The contamination of the meat was discovered by the company in its plant before the beef was shipped. No meat produced by Beef Products Inc. has been linked to any illnesses or outbreaks.​

 

[Pea-n-Me]

retraction

Thanks.

So could you just clarify your point and how it relates to the article I posted?

 

[npmommie]

Yes it is. They can then put it in with the meat they are grinding.



Pink slime can be made from an "organic" cow. Pink slime is (according to the FDA) beef and does not have to be on a label as an additive.

again, IF a product is certified usda organic beef it will not have the added pink slime.

Pink slime has been around forever, it's first name is O S C A R. We have been feeding our kids this stuff in the form of bologna and hot dogs for decades.

that stuff is gross. I don't feed my kids oscar. although I did grow up eating bologna and hot dogs. yuck.
there are better alternatives now.

It makes you wonder how long this has been going on. Thankfully, we have a family run meat market/butcher shop in town. I will be getting my meat there, from now on.

TC

I think it has been going on since the 90's I remember reading it somewhere, but I forget where that was.

Given that Oliver's presentation grossly misrepresented what this product is (as has many in this thread), I happily continue to eat hamburgers.

so what did he misrepresent? enlighten us

 

[npmommie]

retraction

An editorial on Sunday mischaracterized the safety record of ground meat produced by Beef Products Inc. The editorial said incorrectly that two 27,000-pound batches of processed beef had been recalled. The contamination of the meat was discovered by the company in its plant before the beef was shipped. No meat produced by Beef Products Inc. has been linked to any illnesses or outbreaks.​

it didn't cause illness because it was discovered before it left the plant. proof the method does not kill ALL pathogens.
the root of the problem is the grain fed cow anyway.
grass fed is better for many reasons and one is the lower incidence of ecoli in a grass fed cow.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Grass fed cow may be a lot healthier, but it is also a lot less tender, juicy and tasty than corn fed cow.

I don't care, even if that's true. Cows did not evolve to eat corn, they evolved to eat grass.

They are fed corn because they are left in small, enclosed areas instead of living on the range like they were years ago. All in the name of efficiency. It's not natural.

http://ecosalon.com/how_corn_changed_the_cattle_industry/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/interviews/pollan.html
http://www.johnrobbins.info/blog/grass-fed-beef/

Not only that, but a study by Cornell University shows a link between cattle being fed corn and E.coli in beef.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_feeding

 

[MrsPete]

See, this is why I hate watching the news some times. Did anyone else see this story on world news tonight that 70% of the country's ground beef contains this "pink slime" which is actually dog food grade beef that's been sprayed with ammonia?

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlin...und-beef-at-supermarkets-contains-pink-slime/

I can't image this is new, am I late in knowing this?


Gerald Zirnstein grinds his own hamburger these days. Why? Because this former United States Department of Agriculture scientist and, now, whistleblower, knows that 70 percent of the ground beef we buy at the supermarket contains something he calls “pink slime.”

“Pink slime” is beef trimmings. Once only used in dog food and cooking oil, the trimmings are now sprayed with ammonia so they are safe to eat and added to most ground beef as a cheaper filler.Pink slime” is beef trimmings. Once only used in dog food and cooking oil, the trimmings are now sprayed with ammonia so they are safe to eat and added to most ground beef as a cheaper filler

This is not news. I learned it in a college nutrition class in the mid-80s. Well, in all fairness, I didn't learn the term "pink slime". That's new, and the wording's clearly been chosen for its ick-factor. What we learned then was that when you buy beef that's labeled 80-20, it's 80% beef and 20% fat and by-products. Apparently we're calling fat and by-products "pink slime" now.

Quite a bit of the food at the grocery store has similar problems, and it's up to the consumer to know what's what. To throw out other examples, Campbell soup lies. Soup is not good food -- not when you consider all that sodium. Kraft singles are labeled "cheese product" because it is mostly oil; it is not actually cheese -- that's less healthy than the ground beef. Nutritionally, Nutella -- which is touted as a breakfast food -- is simlar to chocolate icing. The term "lite" has no legal meaning; it could mean lighter in color or weight. The list could go on.

 

[luvmy3]

that stuff is gross. I don't feed my kids oscar. although I did grow up eating bologna and hot dogs. yuck.
there are better alternatives now.

It is gross, and while there may be better alternatives, the process in which they are made is the same. Meat is ground up into a pulp, or slime, and put into casings and cooked. If "pink slime" is considered "beef", then an all beef hot-dog is still made with pink slime, and no different IMO than the stuff being added to ground beef. I don't do organic, but even so the process is the same. It is ALL gross
I'm just glad that they make a meat grinder attachment, and a sausage stuffer for the stand mixer I just got

 

[Planogirl]

The only part that bothers me is that apparently the by-products could be more susceptible to e-coli. Personally, if I'm going to eat meat then I'm not particularly grossed out by various parts of the same cow. I always assumed that by-products were used in ground beef anyhow.

DH loves Spam. I do wonder about that stuff.

 

[taximomfor4]

DH loves Spam. I do wonder about that stuff.

From Hitchhiker Joe, by the Rugburns:

My girfriend Lois called from Tallahassee
She picked up that dude at the Spam factory
That was the last time I saw her smile
My best advice is don't eat Spam for a while!

 

[luvmy3]

The only part that bothers me is that apparently the by-products could be more susceptible to e-coli. Personally, if I'm going to eat meat then I'm not particularly grossed out by various parts of the same cow. I always assumed that by-products were used in ground beef anyhow.

DH loves Spam. I do wonder about that stuff.

Sometimes ignorance IS bliss

 

[JoiseyMom]

I also heard about this last year from Jamie Oliver. At that point we stopped eating at Mickey D's and BK etc. I sent an email to Wegman's to ask if they have it in their ground beef, and was told no. Otherwise I was either going to grind my own, or go back to buying kosher.

And as for hot dogs...if you do Hebrew National, you don't have to worry!

I was happy to hear that the fast food joints are no longer using it. So is DS, he has 1/2 days coming up and I promised him Mickey D's which he hasn't had in over a year .

 

[Planogirl]

McDonald's has quit using the stuff?

I guess that I just don't see this fuss. Other than the "ew" factor, I don't see the harm really.

 

[JoiseyMom]

McDonald's has quit using the stuff?

I guess that I just don't see this fuss. Other than the "ew" factor, I don't see the harm really.

Yes, that came out a few weeks ago that they stopped in August. Saying it had nothing to do with Jamie Oliver, they just decided to stop.