Pink slime (also known as lean finely textured beef or LFTB, finely textured beef, or boneless lean beef trimmings or BLBT) is a meat by-product used as a food additive to ground beef and beef-based processed meats, as a filler, or to reduce the overall fat content of ground beef.
However, it's a bit more complicated than that. McDonald's disavowal of “pink slime” is fairly recent, and they only stopped using mechanically processed beef in 2011.
We season with just a punch of salt and pepper, otherwise nothing else is added. No fillers, no additives and no preservatives. Some consumers may be familiar with the practice of using lean, finely textured beef sometimes treated with ammonia, which is referred to by some as “pink slime.” We do not use this.
What is “pink slime?” “Pink slime” is a colloquial term for Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB). LFTB refers to smaller pieces of lean meat that are added to ground beef to produce a leaner product utilizing as much of meat from an animal as possible. The term “pink slime” was not developed by the food industry.
AP'S ASSESSMENT: False. McDonalds stopped using the by-product, known in the industry as lean, finely-textured beef, in 2011, according to a statement the company made on its website around that time.
Because it is a cheap filler and turns three-quarters of a pound of ground muscle into 1 pound of ground beef, or something like that. Pink slime is not toxic to our bodies unless adulterated by bacteria. In and of itself, tendons and intestines, for example, are not bad for us.
In 2001, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the product for limited human consumption. The product, when prepared using ammonia gas, is banned for human consumption in the European Union and Canada.
Kroger (NYSE: KR) the nation's largest traditional grocer, said it does use “finely textured lean beef” or so-called “pink slime” in some of its ground beef products. About 70 percent of the ground beef sold at supermarkets contains the meat filler, according to the ABC News report.
The taste was savory and meaty, with big beefy flavor. The chew had just the right texture, substantial but giving. Basically, everything you would want in a burger. The pink slime burger also was perfectly seared and drew me in with an equally alluring aroma.
Batavia-based Aldi Inc, in response to growing customer concerns, announced that it will no longer purchase ground beef made with lean finely textured beef -- commonly known as "pink slime" -- although the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved it as safe and wholesome beef.
First, the trimmings are heated to about 100° F, then put into a centrifuge to separate the fat tissue from the muscle tissue. Then the muscle tissue is treated with ammonia to keep bacteria from forming. This entire process is now called “ground beef” even though it's still technically “lean finely textured beef.”
If you haven't seen this picture already, it's your (un)lucky day. It's the dreaded "Pink Slime" -- mechanically separated chicken cleaned with ammonia hydroxide, And according to Internet reports early last year, your McDonald's chicken nuggets were made out of the pink paste.
"Pink slime" is slang for "ammonia-treated lean beef trimmings." It's an industrial food process by which edible meat parts that stick to the bone but can't be stripped by a knife are recovered by mechanical means and turned into a substance that can beef up burgers and plump up chicken products at lower cost.
Every one of our McDonald's burgers is made with 100% pure beef and cooked and prepared with salt, pepper and nothing else—no fillers, no additives, no preservatives. We use the trimmings of cuts like the chuck, round and sirloin for our burgers, which are ground and formed into our hamburger patties.
Kansas City (Reuters) - Every time someone calls former U.S. government scientist Gerald Zirnstein a whistleblower, he cringes a little.
Simply look for terms like “lean finely textured beef” (LFTB), “textured beef,” “finely textured beef” or “boneless lean beef trimmings” (BLBT). “Finely textured beef” is perhaps the most common name for what would otherwise be called “pink slime” today, according to meat packer Cargill.
But we're here to tell you, once and for all, under no circumstances should you wash your meat. Look, we get it. Slimy, raw meat can be off putting and it's understandable to think washing off some of the excess “slime” might actually make the cooking process safer.
Cured meat products such as ham and frankfurters have a pink color due to the addition of nitrite, a commonly used ingredient in processed meats. Many vegetables, including carrots, celery and onions, contain nitrates.
Each and every one of our Chicken McNuggets® is made with USDA-inspected boneless white-meat chicken—cut from the chicken breast, tenderloins and rib meat. Still curious about what's in a Chicken McNugget®? Check out all of the Chicken McNuggets® ingredients.
According to Steward, the dark meat from the drumsticks and the thighs does not go into the McNuggets. However, the breast and rib meat, as well as the chicken tenderloin, are used to make McNuggets. Before McNuggets are made, the entire chicken skin is removed initially, and a small portion is added back "for flavor."
Wondering what are McDonald's Chicken Nuggets made of? Chicken McNuggets® are made with all white meat chicken and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. There are 170 calories in a 4-piece Chicken McNuggets®.
Previously, pink slime was sometimes folded into ground beef sold in supermarkets, or more commonly sold to fast-food purveyors for use in burgers. The anti-contaminant treatment used by BPI is ammonia, which is legal in the US but not in Canada or in the European Union, where pink slime is thus banned.
Pink slime, as it was dubbed by two former USDA scientists because of its gelatinous texture, is a cheap filler added to an estimated 70 percent of the ground beef sold at supermarkets and up to 25 percent of each American hamburger patty, according to ABC News.
“Most slime recipes out there call for Borax, a strong alkaline substance like lye,” said Mark Johnston, program coordinator of the Regions Hospital Burn Center. “If used improperly or carelessly, it can cause chemical burns.” According to Johnston, close parent supervision is key to making sure your child stays safe.