I've never seen scrapple made from beef but looks like they make it the same as the pork variety. I guess if Mario Batali or some other celebrity chef put it on their menus, consumption would increase, like it did for pork bellies.

Dcarch,

There's nothing wrong with your ideas about eating all parts of the animal. But, let's not kid ourselves here...that's not what Pink Slime is about.

Pink Slime was not morally driven. The process was devised as a way to squeeze more profit from their raw materials, in this case - beef. It's all about executive compensation bonuses, stockholders, and meeting Wall Street's quarterly expectations. If the producers can push this product onto the public without regulatory disclosures - so much the better 'cause we've seen what the public thinks about how Pink Slime is produced. I've no problem with them continuing to produce/market their product. If not enough consumers purchase Pink Slime, properly labeled, for the factory to turn a profit then I guess it's not a desired product even if it saves a few cents per 100 lbs. Same as lots of other products that fail each year due to lack of consumer support.

/tricia

Let's be sure we know that eating pink slime doesn't save the lives of beef cattle....that's not how it works, there aren't pastures full of happy steers going to live out their lives knee deep on grass if there is no demand for their meat. If there is no demand for their meat, they won't be born, or will be slaughtered early for veal.

Jenny "You seem to end up with very little waste when you cook, always coming up with creative ways to use things that other people consider scraps (ie the gelatin from your previous dish.) This is a feast for the eyes, even for a vegetarian."

Thanks Jenny. I am forecasting a drastic increase in food prices in the very near future due to world wide climate changes, rapidly increasing purchasing power of all developing countries, and the crises shortage of labor in China from the very successful one-child-per-family policy. Practicing maximize food resources has many benefits.

Annie "---And, although I use intestines for sausage casings, I don't eat tripe, I just don't care for it. The heart goes into sausage and the liver becomes dinner. "

Rocky Mountain Oyster? :-)

Ann_t "---the meat that you are buying in the USA is the LFTM, which is processed with ammonia."

That is safer than nitrates in corn beef and ham, and sulfide in wine. It has been mentioned that not having 98% lean beef to incorporate in food will have a big negative impact on obesity in children.

triciae " ---------There's nothing wrong with your ideas about eating all parts of the animal. But, let's not kid ourselves here...that's not what Pink Slime is about. Pink Slime was not morally driven. The process was devised as a way to squeeze more profit from their raw materials, in this case - beef. It's all about executive compensation bonuses, stockholders, and meeting Wall Street's quarterly expectations.---"

I think that's what we call capitalism. But that's all good. I wish they can find a way to turn bones into meat and make even more profit. That is still beneficial at the end.

Lindac "Let's be sure we know that eating pink slime doesn't save the lives of beef cattle....that's not how it works, there aren't pastures full of happy steers going to live out their lives knee deep on grass if there is no demand for their meat. If there is no demand for their meat, they won't be born, or will be slaughtered early for veal."

I am totally confused by your logic. Given the demand for beef is fixed at any particular moment, if you waste meat, you will have to kill more cows, what am I missing?

I am also confused by all the discussions. The bottom-line:

1. I will march with you to Washington to demand our government to require producers to label accurately all food products.

2. I will fight you with all my vigor if you are going to deprive me of my right to consume what has been proven safe food just because you feel it is revolting.

dcarch

dcarch, as I've said vehemently and more than once, everyone should have a choice. You may certainly cook and eat anything that suits you. I deserve the same opportunity but will be deprived of that if manufacturers are allowed to hide information or mislead consumers.

And yes, I've eaten mountain oysters. More than once. Chicken feet went into stock, Dad made headcheese from the pig's head. We were eating beef cheeks and jowl bacon way before either became fashionable, as well as ox-tail before it got expensive.

We also had snapping turtles trapped out of the local lake too. Panfish of all types, porcupine, raccoon, rabbit, squirrel, quail, pheasant and, of course, venison, known in my family as "government beef". We ate whatever was available and we wasted nothing.

However, Grandma never failed to tell us what we were eating, or "hid" ingredients. We knew that those "oysters" were testicles and that we'd eat them or go hungry. It's that freedom of choice at work.

Annie

Not every one agrees that meat treated with ammonia is safe to eat. It isn't approved in many other countries.

But as Annie said, I wouldn't deprive you of your right to eat pink slime.

~Ann

1. I will march with you to Washington to demand our government to require producers to label accurately all food products.

So where's the confusion? That's all everyone here is asking for. I don't see one post asking for it to be outlawed, just labeled.

Why not label it? Nobody's crying about "mechanically separated chicken." People buy plenty of stuff with ingredients on the label they don't like: MSG, HFCS, nitrates/nitrites, etc.

Why the knee-jerk reaction to close 3 plants? Even if a clever marketing campaign can't get the US to accept it, surely there's got to be a market for it somewhere. As Ann said, it's illegal in many countries (why, if it's so pure and safe?) but there's got to be some developing or third world country that would love some safe, cheap US beef?

Why not leave some meat on those bones and make some decent stock? You recently proved that bones alone don't make a flavorful stock and I think the canned stock industry could use the help making a decent product!

If you're really concerned about saving animals' lives then eat beef. Even if 50% of a steer went to waste you could easily feed a family of four beef every single day for a year with one animal. You'd need to kill about 365 animals to do the same with chicken.

Anne_T, "--Not every one agrees that meat treated with ammonia is safe to eat."

From the WEB, "The list of foods in which ammonium hydroxide is used as a direct food additive is extensive and includes baked goods, cheeses, chocolates, other confectionery (e.g., caramel), and puddings. Ammonium hydroxide is also used as an antimicrobial agent in meat products.

Ammonia in other forms (e.g., ammonium sulfate, ammonium alginate) is used in condiments, relishes, soy protein concentrates/isolates, snack foods, jams and jellies, and non-alcoholic beverages.

The World Health Organization has listed hundreds of food types that may be processed using ammonium hydroxide when used in accordance with good manufacturing practices. These include dairy products, confections, fruits and vegetables, baked goods, breakfast cereals, eggs, fish, beverages such as sports drinks and beer, and meats."

Baker's ammonia is used to make wonderful little crisp cookies. And that stuff has been used for generations.

FOAS, "---So where's the confusion? ------I don't see one post asking for it to be outlawed, just labeled.-----"

That's my reaction to this statement, "-----Sorry....I don't eat that nor support the sale of it---"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Again, If you have enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers for your entire life, and you let slimy jurnalism's "Pink Slime" label to deprive your enjoyment, and your children's enjoyment from now on, it is your choice.

You may also want to stop eating Chicken McNuggets, which are basically chicken slime with Ammonium bicarbonate. Then there are fish cakes, imitation crab legs -------.

dcarch

Even before I searched for that quote I was thinking there's a big difference between "I don't support" and "I say it should be outlawed." And now that I found the quote I see you conveniently ignored the end of that sentence: "but feel free if that's what you like, just label it so those of us who choose not to eat it can avoid it."

Again, that's all that's being asked for.

dcarch,

"2. I will fight you with all my vigor if you are going to deprive me of my right to consume what has been proven safe food just because you feel it is revolting."

I will not prevent you from eating all the Pink Slime you wish. But, neither will I enable you. ;)

/tricia

"---I will not prevent you from eating all the Pink Slime you wish. But, neither will I enable you. ;) "

I take it you will not be a friend to our wonderful NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is trying to outlaw soda larger than 16 oz. :-)

dcarch

Ya know, I also won't use bleached flour but that hasn't stopped agri-business from mass production/sales.

The whole thing is no different than my refusal to eat fish designated "Avoid" on the MBA Watch program. I'm not out there trying to physically stop the sale of those fish - just using my American right to vote with my wallet.

/tricia

I like Mayor Bloomberg but I think he's wrong on this issue.

/t

I read somewhere that Europe is more stringent in their food regulation policies because the government pays for healthcare, and realizes the impact these practices have on our health. I just can't get behind putting ammonia in food, no matter how common it may be. And I don't think that closing the plants down was a knee-jerk reaction- if pink slime is on labels people are going to be much less likely to purchase it. There's a reason we don't label GMO crops. But I do think it's unfortunate that your lovely dish has been overshadowed by this issue.

It's not so much the ammonia that I object to....but to the reason for treating the "meat" with it...
Because the pink slime is created from trimmings and scrapings left after the recognizable meat has been removed, and because there is a very great danger that those scrapings are contaminated with salmonella and E.coli....so they spray them with ammonia.

I feel that they are sterilizing garbage, putting it into hamburger and selling it to us without telling us what they are doing.

Feel free to eat all the extra lean hamburger containing FTMP and dead shellfish you care to.

When I finally finished reading this thread, I fell to the floor in a quivering heap and almost commenced chewing the rug. I got back up, turned around 3 times, thru salt over my left shoulder, said, "F--- it," Have at it folks,
I'm otta here.

Jenny and Lou - I think it's clear from the subject line right throught the opening sentence that this thread had little if anything to do with scrapple, and everything to do with pink slime. Even the faithful realize that and as of yet haven't stopped by to prostrate to the photography. It's been an interesting discussion, if mildly confrontational and entertaining, and I'm happy to see that whether or not we want to eat the crap, everyone agrees that it should be labeled so we can make our own decisions.

"---there is a very great danger that those scrapings are contaminated with salmonella and E.coli. ....so they spray them with ammonia. �."

Not including Wendy�s, Burger King, and all ground beef purchased by individuals, McDonalds alone has sold more than 246,623,751,852 hamburgers containing "Pink Slime"
We eat about 22,750,000,000 hotdogs with "Pink Slime" a year.

How many people have died from eating Pink Slime?

Take away the 15% of the Pink Slime permitted in all forms of ground beef, how many more cattle do you have to kill and how much more do you think that people who are economically challenged will have to pay?

In an ideal world, we all should eat free range organic grass fed beef. I just came back from a farmers market, it is $11.50 a lb.

As I said, there needs to have a law to require labeling, and we should not allow cheap journalism to rule our life.

dcarch

As I said, there needs to have a law to require labeling...

As I said, seems like we all agree. Why do we keep going in circles?

...and we should not allow cheap journalism to rule our life.

In general I'd agree with that, but in this particular case "cheap journalism" educated millions about what 15% of our ground beef might consist of. Something the government failed to do. Maybe it was a bit sensationalistic, but it was effective in getting the word out. I, for one, can't complain about that.

So, can we talk about scrapple? I've never had it, but I'd be interested in trying it. Up until a few minutes ago I was planning to go to the Poconos next weekend for the race and your thread had me thinking I'd use the opportunity to try some. Do you have a local source or do you make it?

To report it as "Pink Slime" is without question cheap yellow journalism. If they had said "Ammonia treated lean finely textured beef (LFTB) is in your hamburgers", 3,000 families may not have to be unemployed. I saw the interview of a few of those families. Very sad!

Unfortunately, we have a general public whose political views can easily formed by a few comedians, or a politician who can give one good speech. And if you misspell "Potato" once, your entire political future is down the drain.

Suppose if I was to tell you I am making:

Pate De Foie De Boeuf Et D'autres Tresors A La Truffe Sauce Aux Champignons Infuses

Doesn't it sound a hell better than "I am making beef scrapple"?

So I am trying out beef scrapple with mushroom sauce infused with truffle oil, on Golden delight zucchini, Fairytale egg plants and Breakfast Radishes.

A Cinderella transformation of humble beef slime!

Beef scrapple taste not that different than pork scrapple. Just slightly firmer in texture.

I got my pork scrapple and beef scrapple at Shoprite. They also have fresh pork chitterlings and cooked pork chitterlings.

dcarch

Dcarch,

I've been reading various articles this morning on the plant closures you referenced in this thread's initial post. So far, I've read 6-8 of them. They all say the same thing - about 650 jobs lost. To lose a job is tough especially in this economy. We've been through that twice so I understand the hardships it brings.

But, you said,

"All the sensational fiddle-faddle about "Pink Slime" has so far caused 3,000 families to be on unemployment..."

Will you please post an article referencing that number of lost jobs?

There's a significant difference between 3,000 & 650. I've linked an article representative of those I've read substantiating the 650 lost jobs. Here are a few others...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57431219-10391704/pink-slime-outcry-causes-beef-products-inc-to-close-three-plants/

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/05/3-plants-that-made-pink-slime-ground-beef-to-close/1

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/05/bpi-maker-of-pink-slime-to-close-3-of-4-plants/

http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2012-05-24/pink-slime-plant-closes-workers-mull-their-options (Note: this article says a total of 736)

In the name of honest reporting seems like we should have this number tied down accurately, huh?

It won't make a difference in my decision to not consume their product; but since you've accused us of all this "fiddle-faddle" I'd like to see something supporting your claims.

Thanks.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: NBC News

Tricia, that is a fair request.

I am fully aware of the need to avoid falling into the "Confirmation bias" trap in discussing a topic.

Unfortunately I can't find the supporting material which the number 3,000 job loss was memtioned because, as I said, it was a TV interview which I didn't record.

However, considering the quantity of "Pink Slime" is in use, the 3,000 job loss will be a drastic underestimated number. Perhaps 100,000 eventually with other trickling associated industries such as trucking companies?

The 650 number you memtioned is the most reported number, there are others which are not in the news, for instance, 850 job are gone for AFA Foods in Pennsylvania, who filed Bankruptcy Citing "Pink Slime" Coverage.

How can "slime" used to report a 100% healthy food be considered responsible journalism?

dcarch

Interesting reading, this post. Have been grinding our own meats for many years just because of finding out about Pink Slime. Nasty stuff, unhealthy and poor quality. They wouldn't give it to dog food but they will give it to humans to consume. Nice. And no, just because people are loosing their jobs does not make me want to run out and buy crap. You can dress it up and put nice little sauces on it but it is still crap. I want better for my family. Finely glad the media is telling it like it is and informing the public. The the public will decide what they want to eat. NancyLouise

Tricia - 3000 was an estimate for the workers plus others impacted.

Beef Products Inc., took out a full page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal last week to make a case for LFTB. The ad featured a statement on the economic impact by Beef Products Inc. founder Eldon Roth.

"It is simply amazing how this mis-information campaign can take a company and product that has long been recognized for its quality and safety and turn the public perception so negative that it now may result in the loss of over 3,000 jobs (direct employment and companies that rely upon our business) and affected their families and communities," wrote Mr. Roth.

- Christian Science Monitor

I certainly have empathy for anyone without a job. But that has absolutely no bearing on my feelings about bulking up ground meat with up to 15% meat by-product without labeling it.

An ad by the same company that is profiting by adding crap to food the public consumes does not make me change my mind. NancyLouise

What so many of you are not mentioning is the politics involved. The major market for pink slime was the school foods program. Up until a few years ago, the vast majority of the stuff was sold to schools. Then someone found out what was going into the hamburgers in the school lunch and much of that market was closed....so they turned to the next large users of ground meat.....fast food joints.

Meat processing plants are notorious for hiring illegal immigrants. We sure have had our share of problems with that in processing plants other than BPI....but never have any raids or charges been filed against a BPI plant....but you know a lot of those Guatemalans and Mexicans you see leaving the plant have to be here illegally....HMM? Why are they seemingly protected?

When all this "sensational fiddle faddle" broke, there was a high profile group who inspected several plants and pronounced them "fine"...producing wholesome food..blah blah.
Whe was in that group? what I remember is the Iowa Governor, the Nebraska governor, the S Dakota Lt governor and the Texas governor.....what could they all have in common?

Check the link below to see hwat and to whom BPI has recently contributed.

Any why do you think the general public didn't know about this disgusting product?

People who worked at the plants said off the cuff but to various reporters that some of the stuff was literally scraped off the floors and the work tables for inclusion into the pink slime grinder.

Here is a link that might be useful: Political contributions

It is very sad when so many lose jobs. But instead of blaming the media the Company should accept much of the blame for these job losses. Had they really cared about their employees rather than profits, they would have been upfront, not trying to hide what they were doing. Had they educated the public and put a positive spin on their product they would probably not have received such bad press.

~Ann

FOAS, thanks. Well, there's always collateral damage around layoffs. Mr. Roth's comment in the ad is unsubstantiated & even he says "may result" but still it's at least something with that 3,000 figure.

I did not see the WSJ ad. Seems I vote frequently with my wallet. I dropped my home subscription when Murdoch purchased the paper. (big grin)

/tricia

If I found out my ground beef consisted of all the little bits of sinew, fat, meat and gristle that are blasted off the bone and "sanitized" to make it fit for human consumption...I would be pretty mad indeed. They can spin it all they like, its only purpose is to increase their profits.

Remember the Chinese melamine scandal? That company added melamine (plastic) to baby formula to increase the protein in it the cheapest way possible. They had no concern for the consumer either.

How can "slime" used to report a 100% healthy food be considered responsible journalism?

Well, it's pink and at least looks slimy and in any case was the reporting of what the inspector (or whoever he was) said.

How can 'Lean Finely Textured Meat' be considered to be an appropriate or responsible description for this stuff? It is at least as obfuscating as slime is harsh.

And job gain/loss is irrelevant to the quality or value of this (or any other) stuff.

"Posted by Donna.in.Sask "If I found out my ground beef consisted of all the little bits of sinew, fat, meat and gristle that are blasted off the bone and "sanitized" to make it fit for human consumption...I would be pretty mad indeed. They can spin it all they like, its only purpose is to increase their profits.
Remember the Chinese melamine scandal? That company added melamine (plastic) to baby formula to increase the protein in it the cheapest way possible. They had no concern for the consumer either."
This has been an eye-opening thread for me.

My original post has two purposes:

1. For a major network, presenting a purposeful biased report repeatedly is absolutely unacceptable in any situation in our world and it can do incredible harm to all.

Instead, I am amazed to find out that the feeling here is that it is OK for that kind of irresponsible news report.

2. So called "pink slime" has been proven to be 100% beef, no fat (94% lean) no gristle, no sinew and ammonia is commonly used in the preparation of many foods, and in the many years of it's use in food, it has been proven safe for all consumers.

Instead, no one has presented evidence to contradict this aspect of the issue.

Donna's post above shows the kind of damage this kind of reporting can do to the public, when a balanced report is not done.

At the risk of being accused of going in circles, I will repeat, it is not my objective to convince you to eat "pink slime". I totally find it acceptable to have food preferences. Europeans feel eating corn on the cob is ridiculous, after all why would any one eat pig feed?

Furthermore this issue has nothing to do with Mexicans are filthy workers, and the Chinese are out to poison the world.

Waiting for the report to come out that scrapple is "Gray Slime".

dcarch

The USA is a country of free speech.

I fail to see the difference in calling something "Pink Slime" or "Gray Slime" between many of the titles that you have used to draw attention to your own posts.

Nancy

Biased reporting is a fact of life in the U.S. and we can't change that but knowing that fact should make us do a bit of our own investigation before instantly changing our shopping or eating habits.

It's not all that difficult to check the credentials of the "expert" whose study prompted a food danger news story. If you see that the professor who did a study on the dangers of poultry or a certain type of fish received grants from the National Beef Council, a bell should go off.

How would you feel if you discovered that the publicity campaign about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup was funded by energy companies to drive the price of corn down to raise their profits on ethanol fuel?

Some of us do get your message, dcarch, but I still don't like scrapple. LOL

Though I didn't scan this whole thread again, I don't recall anyone saying it's unsafe. Maybe we just think it's gross, and that's why we want it labeled, so that we can choose not to eat it.

According to Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition and public at New York University, the substance is safe but still raises issues.

"It is not dangerous at all. The question is whether it's socially acceptable," says Ms. Nestle. "Humans don't usually eat byproducts. Just because it's safe doesn't mean it's acceptable."

Earlier in this thread you stated, "I will not go into the details of the health issues regarding how pink slime is made and the chemicals that goes into the making. All the information is out there for you to come to an intelligent judgment."

I think it's obvious that a bunch of us have gone out and done some amount of research and either made a judgment or reaffirmed an existing judgment. Is that so difficult for to accept? Obviously no one here is changing your mind, and it doesn't seem like you're changing anyone else's. I vote we agree to disagree and move on to happier things.

Ruthanna, "---How would you feel if you discovered that the publicity campaign about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup was funded by energy companies to drive the price of corn down to raise their profits on ethanol fuel?
Some of us do get your message, dcarch, but I still don't like scrapple. LOL "

Right on! That's exactly why we need/require the press/journalists to give us in depth balanced reporting.
When I have itsy bitsy leftover bits of chicken, beef, pork ----- I make my own slime, LOL! Speaking of mystery meat!

FOAS, "----I vote we agree to disagree and move on to happier things."

But before I move on, I just want to give compliment to Alexa's comment:

"---And no, I don't eat scrapple either even though it is very common in this area, I find it to be completely revolting. Lots of people do eat it and that is fine with me...."

It would have a completely different meaning had she said:

"---And no, I don't eat scrapple either, I find it to be completely revolting."

dcarch

What it boils down to is some of us wouldn't dream of eating things that others will.
And if there are no secrets kept then there is no shock an hullabaloo when facts are revealed. Make the spinmeisters earn their money. Honesty in all issues. A certain cheese company used to list a bleaching agent on the label, because although the product was added in quantities too small to be detected,k to keep the cheese whiter during the summer when the cows ate fresh grass, they had to put it on the label. Then they decided..."so?
Cheese is yellow-ish...go with it," took the bleach out and the ingredient off the label.
In all things it's best to be honest and open.

Linda's example is a good one, IMO. Another example is bleached all-purpose flour. Right there on the front of the bag, usually in large hard to miss letters, it says, BLEACHED flour. Since I don't want chlorine in my flour it's not hard for me to avoid those flours.

Pink slime should also be easily identified. I should not have to go searching through 3 point type on the back to discover its presence.

As to the media, in this case, I think they did a good service. They got the public's attention - not an easy thing to do in America. Then, as always, it's up to individuals to conduct their own research. Apparently, they've decided in large numbers to not consume the stuff. People are NOT stupid. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck...well, it's likely a duck.

/tricia

I remember when I first heard about "pink slime." I researched it online and discovered its correct name was lean finely textured beef (LFTB). I read that it is produced by processing beef trimmings (and depending on the source, other by-products such as cartilage, connective tissue and sinew) which contain fat and mechanically separating the lean beef from the fat through the use of a heated centrifuge. I understood the use of ammonia to "sterilize" the resulting product: the more exposed surface area, the more possibility of e coli, salmonella, and other bacteria. The resulting product is supposedly high in protein, very low in fat, and perfectly safe for human consumption. It is used as a filler for ground beef and supposedly reduces the overall fat content and cost. It's the last-ditch effort to squeeze every bit of useable meat from a beef carcass.

I actually believe the product is probably safe. That said, I do not want to buy ground beef that includes this particular additive. I think most Americans believe "ground beef" is simply ground up chunks of beef, something we could create ourselves if we were so motivated. LFTB doesn't fit that definition. I think the big problem was the lack of disclosure. LFTB really is an additive, and should have been labeled as such. Once it's disclosed, then the responsibility belongs to the consumer. I choose not to buy a product with LFTB. But if I was unemployed and had a family to feed, I might choose differently.

Who is to blame for this controversy? I think the blame lies with the manufacturers. Not because the product is horrible but because they didn't anticipate the possible over-reaction. In this day of e coli and salmonella outbreaks, fussing over food additives, hand-wringing over high fructose corn syrup, etc., it was foolhardy to think that a product like "pink slime" would go unnoticed. They should have been better prepared for the resulting negative attention.

But scrapple as "gray slime?" No way! I make my own scrapple, and it's never gray. I must confess that I use only the scraps of meat left on a roasted turkey carcass. No liver, heart, or gizzards. So my scrapple is a lovely blonde color -- cornmeal studded with bits of turkey with a sprinkling of rosemary leaves here and there.

Shambo, I would be happy to try your Scrapple. I think I like the idea of rosemary as much as I like the idea of sage.

~Ann

I read years ago that the only thing that distinguishes human food from pet food was the level of decomposition. Now that we have ammonia and other such methods to sanitize our food, what are the dogs left to eat?

For the record, my main objection to pink slime is the deceptive practices that these companies use to market (or not market) the product. Now, if you would explain to the general public that they would be keeping their beef costs down by making full use of the whole animal (it IS edible after all), I'm sure EVERYONE would be on board to eat these "lips and arseholes".

I just thought it'd be funny to keep this going ;)

Good point Donna. They add this cheaply produced
'stuff' to the ground beef, but yet the price of
ground beef does not come down. What's up with that?

From Wiki...

Located under "Official School Responses" down the page:

"By June 2012, forty-seven of fifty states declined to purchase any pink slime for the 2012�2013 school year while North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa chose to continue buying it." Politics/contributions got in the way of the people in these states, I'm thinking.

Many, if not most, of the country's largest grocery stores no longer carry the stuff either according to Wiki. I just fail to see this as a Shame On The Media issue though. Rather, I see it as POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

I also read a Red Robin survey taken in spring 2012 that reflected Americans were choosing to eat less ground beef since becoming aware of pink slime. I don't remember exactly all the numbers but 88% were aware of the issue, 78% were concerned, and something like 22-25% were eating less ground beef. Those are significant numbers - no wonder restaurants are advertising they do not serve pink slime cheeseburgers. The survey should be easy enough to locate if anybody's interested.

Note that the pink slime issue doesn't seem to be a social/economic or red/blue state thing. Appears most all Americans don't want pink slime in their gourmet blue cheeseburger or their Hamburger Helper. Voting with our wallets seems to get better results than at the polls. :(

I'm tired of this issue but it's been interesting to revisit it since I became aware. The only reason I've persisted here is because I feel dcarch has been directing his remarks at me since I made the initial eeewww post about pink slime last spring.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Wiki Pink Slime

Tricia - Google dcarch pink slime, he's posted on other forums, too. We just fall for the bait and let ourselves get sucked in more than people do on the other forums, so it doesn't go away. ;-)

LFTB is just one of a number of substances brought to us by modern industrial manufacturing. That it has been deemed safe for ingestion definitely does not mean it is a wholesome, quality, and/or tasty product. I would compare it to another similar invention, Cheez Whiz (Orange Slime, anyone?) Cheez Whiz has as much in common with real cheese as LFTB does with ground beef. Kraft Foods employs lots of people, many of whom I would imagine are very proud of their work. But that does not make the product they make any less revolting. The difference between these products is that Kraft has been pretty up-front about CW. Instead of discreetly hiding it in otherwise real food, they invested resources to develop it as a brand, and market it to folks who either like it, or don't care what it really is. Those of us who choose not to consume it have no trouble avoiding it.

As has been noted many times, choice in the marketplace isn't worth squat if it isn't informed choice.

"The only reason I've persisted here is because I feel dcarch has been directing his remarks at me since I made the initial eeewww post about pink slime last spring. "

Tricia, I am surprised that you think I would do that. It is against everything I believe in. Please read my comment about Alexa's comment.

Food preference is individual freedom, depending on culture, religion, life experiences and one's body biology. I will never ever have negative feeling about other peoples food choices.

I have absolutely no problem with people not wanting to eat "Pink Slime" because of the yuck factor, but don't go shut the factory down unless your can proof that it is doing others physical harm.

dcarch

I agree, Donna, that's my other problem with pink slime. If I'm getting charged ground meat prices for the stuff, I want to know what's in it. If it's cheaper than hamburger, then that's up to each individual to decide whether the savings is worthwhile to them and their families.

Of course, I have the same problem with that 10% "flavor enhancer" that gets added to pork, which means I'm paying pork prices for salt and water.

Annie

dcarch -

* On the "other thread" you admit that American's eat way more beef than other countries. Please point me to a study that says we should, to justify lowering the cost and keep our school kids filled up with hamburgers and sloppy joes.

* You reference the ridiculous claims about childhood obesity. Why do I say ridiculous? Because as serving of BSCB contains about ONE THIRD of the fat of 93% lean beef...

*... and more protein...

*...and no hormones...

* ...and at least in my neck of the woods it's regularly on sale cheaper than I can EVER get ANY grade of decent ground beef.

* ...and there are even healthier options out there so why not redirect your efforts to something useful like promoting something that's actually healthy?

* Meat on bones need not be wasted - it can make delicious stock as you yourself proved. You're not disrespecting a cow if you don't warm up its bones, throw them in a centrifuge and spray them with ammonia before extruding the resulting "stuff" into tubes.

* What part of "No one here has called for it to be outlawed" don't you understand? Your only counter-point last time I pointed that out was a quote that you blatantly took out of context.

* Of the nine questions on BFI's FAQ page, one of them asks if ammonia occurs naturally. Their answer - "Yes. The human body naturally produces about 4,200 milligrams of ammonia every day." Brilliant marketing, huh? Yes our bodies produce ammonia through the breakdown of protein. And then we convert it into urea and piss it out. Might as well say out bodies create poop so it's natural and ok to eat. This is NOT a statement about the safety of pink slime, it's a statement about the idiots who market it.

Ok, I think I'm done. This has degraded from a somewhat amusing farce to sheer lunacy. I'll try not to comment any further. (Easier said than done...I've got a BIIIIIG mouth, Alice! - but I'll try.)

"I will fight you with all my vigor if you are going to deprive me of my right to consume what has been proven safe food just because you feel it is revolting."

What has been proven safe food is the real question for me. I don't trust the gov, any gov, to tell me what's safe to eat. Our processed food industries are full of practices meant to stretch real food by including a slew of "additives" that human beings were not meant to eat.

Like wood pulp and cotton waste turned into cellulose gum, one of the most ubiquitous additives/stretchers - supplied by that arbiter of safety - none other than China. In fact, our bodies don't absorb it, don't use it. don't digest it. Who knows what adverse effects it has on our digestive systems? It's a filler - a stretcher, dead weight if you will. It's cheating. And the processed food manufacturers market it to us as extra FIBER.

And just because cellulose gum has been used for many years and given the okay by the powers-that-be to be added into our foods doesn't make me believe that it is any way good for me. It's a Frankenfood, pure and simple.

As for the pink slime uproar - people are angry because it is not just a piece of meat that has been ground and packaged that we have been buying - that we thought we were buying. We find out that this additive, however natural in origin, however safely processed, has been secretly added to our so-called ground beef.

Secretly added. Yes. If you are not required to disclose it, that's being secretive. That's hiding information from the people. That's government agencies preemptively deciding it's okay not to disclose information because they know better than the people. That's lying. That's pulling the wool over our eyes. That's being in cahoots with the processors and not being on the side of the people.

The processed food industry needs to be held accountable. People are more educated now. We want disclosure. We want transparency. We want to eat what you tell us we are eating.

If it's 15% chemically-processed filler, then put it on the flipping label. Otherwise you are a cheater. An immoral cheater.

"Tricia - Google dcarch pink slime, he's posted on other forums, too. We just fall for the bait and let ourselves get sucked in more than people do on the other forums, so it doesn't go away. ;-)"

Hmmm, pretty slimy behavior!