Pink Slime Gets a New Name
AlabasterVerve
Posts: 3,171 Member
American Meat Institute defines Fine, Lightly Textured Beef (a.k.a. “pink slime”)
by Marion Nestle, Food Politics
Yesterday, the American Meat Institute sent out an advisory to the news media with a helpful glossary of terms to “use and avoid in coverage of lean finely textured beef” (LFTB).
Lean finely textured beef (LFTB)? Recall the pejorative: “pink slime?”
Academic that I am, I love precise meanings.
The AMI says these terms are proper to use:
Lean Finely Textured Beef: This product is produced by Beef Products, Inc. More detail is available at www.beefisbeef.com.
Finely Textured Beef: This product is produced by Cargill. More detail is available at www.groundbeefanswers.com.
Beef: Both LFTB and FTB are defined as beef by USDA.
Product: Just as a steak or roast are considered a product of a company, LFTB and FTB are products of BPI and Cargill respectively.
But AMI says, you should never use this term:
Pink Slime: While this term has been commonly used to describe LFTB, there is nothing slimy about it. The negative connotation of the phrase “pink slime” shows bias and is inappropriate to describe a wholesome, safe, nutritious and USDA inspected beef product.
You also are not supposed to use the terms Filler, Binder, Extender, or Additive.
Aren’t you happy to have this clarified?
http://www.foodpolitics.com/2013/12/american-meat-institute-defines-fine-lightly-textured-beef-a-k-a-pink-slime/
by Marion Nestle, Food Politics
Yesterday, the American Meat Institute sent out an advisory to the news media with a helpful glossary of terms to “use and avoid in coverage of lean finely textured beef” (LFTB).
Lean finely textured beef (LFTB)? Recall the pejorative: “pink slime?”
Academic that I am, I love precise meanings.
The AMI says these terms are proper to use:
Lean Finely Textured Beef: This product is produced by Beef Products, Inc. More detail is available at www.beefisbeef.com.
Finely Textured Beef: This product is produced by Cargill. More detail is available at www.groundbeefanswers.com.
Beef: Both LFTB and FTB are defined as beef by USDA.
Product: Just as a steak or roast are considered a product of a company, LFTB and FTB are products of BPI and Cargill respectively.
But AMI says, you should never use this term:
Pink Slime: While this term has been commonly used to describe LFTB, there is nothing slimy about it. The negative connotation of the phrase “pink slime” shows bias and is inappropriate to describe a wholesome, safe, nutritious and USDA inspected beef product.
You also are not supposed to use the terms Filler, Binder, Extender, or Additive.
Aren’t you happy to have this clarified?
http://www.foodpolitics.com/2013/12/american-meat-institute-defines-fine-lightly-textured-beef-a-k-a-pink-slime/
0
Replies
-
Gross. If they're bothering to try and change the name that means they're still selling/using it and we're still eating it.0
-
First people complain that we don't use all of the animal. Then we use all of the animal, and they complain about the aesthetics of it. And the complaints invariably come from people with zero experience in actually growing/raising food.
This stuff is simply an extension of what humans have done to maximize use of livestock animals since we started keeping livestock animals.0 -
I prefer steak - but if you want, go to a butcher shop and they can grind prime rib into burger for you if that is what you want and are willing to pay.0
-
Don't they pick it up off the floor and wash it in chemicals? I'm all for nose to tail butchering but don't feed me trash and tell me I'm being picky because I don't like the aesthetics. And you certainly don't get to rebrand it and try and trick me into eating it and expect me to think that's ok because it's not.0
-
American Meat Institute defines Fine, Lightly Textured Beef (a.k.a. “pink slime”)
by Marion Nestle, Food Politics
Yesterday, the American Meat Institute sent out an advisory to the news media with a helpful glossary of terms to “use and avoid in coverage of lean finely textured beef” (LFTB).
Lean finely textured beef (LFTB)? Recall the pejorative: “pink slime?”
Academic that I am, I love precise meanings.
The AMI says these terms are proper to use:
Lean Finely Textured Beef: This product is produced by Beef Products, Inc. More detail is available at www.beefisbeef.com.
Finely Textured Beef: This product is produced by Cargill. More detail is available at www.groundbeefanswers.com.
Beef: Both LFTB and FTB are defined as beef by USDA.
Product: Just as a steak or roast are considered a product of a company, LFTB and FTB are products of BPI and Cargill respectively.
But AMI says, you should never use this term:
Pink Slime: While this term has been commonly used to describe LFTB, there is nothing slimy about it. The negative connotation of the phrase “pink slime” shows bias and is inappropriate to describe a wholesome, safe, nutritious and USDA inspected beef product.
You also are not supposed to use the terms Filler, Binder, Extender, or Additive.
Aren’t you happy to have this clarified?
http://www.foodpolitics.com/2013/12/american-meat-institute-defines-fine-lightly-textured-beef-a-k-a-pink-slime/
[/quote
So then whats a "sausage" considered? Ppl been eating them for years now and they are "binders" and have additives added in0 -
It's always been called LFTB... :huh:
The Pink Slime name was a pejorative term used by those that don't like it.0 -
Most carcasses are washed during processing - it's a safety thing.
Super scary "Ammonia Hydroxide" is just ammonia in water.
We probably need chemistry to be mandatory in high school and these "shocking" revelations would get a lot less press.0 -
Whey is just a leftover in many dairy foods...if "pink slime" is just lean protein, why would I really care?0
-
Ok, you work on beefing up the science education and I'll work on sourcing food that doesn't need to go through an ammonia bath.Most carcasses are washed during processing - it's a safety thing.
Super scary "Ammonia Hydroxide" is just ammonia in water.
We probably need chemistry to be mandatory in high school and these "shocking" revelations would get a lot less press.0 -
Ok, you work on beefing up the science education and I'll work on sourcing food that doesn't need to go through an ammonia bath.Most carcasses are washed during processing - it's a safety thing.
Super scary "Ammonia Hydroxide" is just ammonia in water.
We probably need chemistry to be mandatory in high school and these "shocking" revelations would get a lot less press.
If you don't like it then don't eat it.
Pretty simple really, and it takes a lot less time and energy than charging windmills0 -
First people complain that we don't use all of the animal. Then we use all of the animal, and they complain about the aesthetics of it. And the complaints invariably come from people with zero experience in actually growing/raising food.
This stuff is simply an extension of what humans have done to maximize use of livestock animals since we started keeping livestock animals.
Agreed. I'd much prefer that we waste less food than play precious about what some cheaper products look like. Cheaper food means fewer people go hungry. That's always a win in my book.0 -
It was never called pink slime to begin with. That's really not the name they used when they decided to make it, I assure you LOL!0
-
"Let others complain that our age is evil; my complaint is that it is paltry." Soren Kierkegaard0
-
First people complain that we don't use all of the animal. Then we use all of the animal, and they complain about the aesthetics of it. And the complaints invariably come from people with zero experience in actually growing/raising food.
This stuff is simply an extension of what humans have done to maximize use of livestock animals since we started keeping livestock animals.
Yep. I don't find it wrong to eat meat, but I DO have a problem with tossing parts that have been eaten for years and years because suddenly someone doesn't like the way it looks or that it's lower-grade.
Really, pink slime can't be any worse than the trash parts that go into sausages, and you just know that's full of peckers and snouts.0 -
Don't they pick it up off the floor and wash it in chemicals? I'm all for nose to tail butchering but don't feed me trash and tell me I'm being picky because I don't like the aesthetics. And you certainly don't get to rebrand it and try and trick me into eating it and expect me to think that's ok because it's not.
Haha you wouldn't like me cooking for you - the one that falls on the kitchen floor doesn't go to me
Seriously though, just don't eat it if it bothers you - it's pretty obvious what it's going to be in. We just had the horse meat scandal over here - you'd've loved that - if your ready meal/frozen burger cost £/$1 it's not going to be ground steak that's in there.0 -
Gross. If they're bothering to try and change the name that means they're still selling/using it and we're still eating it.
Not me! I hope...0 -
How is this name new? They've been calling it LFTB for years. Do you really think that they made up the "pink slime" name themselves?
This. It's been called that for a very long time.0 -
American Meat Institute? Pfft. Not as trusted as the folks from Bovine University
0 -
Really, pink slime can't be any worse than the trash parts that go into sausages, and you just know that's full of peckers and snouts.
Pig snout is a delicacy and is too expensive to go into the mix for sausages.0 -
Really, pink slime can't be any worse than the trash parts that go into sausages, and you just know that's full of peckers and snouts.
Pig snout is a delicacy and is too expensive to go into the mix for sausages.
Peckers, on the other hand...LOL
Seriously, for as cheap as it is, I don't think it's fair for me to expect it to be as nutritious,natural, or aesthetic as lesser-processed meatstuffs.0 -
The pink slime thing has never bothered me. I feel we should be using as much of an animal as possible from both an ethical and environmental standpoint. How else would a place like McDonalds be able to sell cheap food to the masses, a lot of whom are at or below the poverty line. And can you imagine how many cows would have to be raised if everyone only ate the best parts? Some people are fortunate and can enjoy the best cuts of meat whenever they want, but others will be thankful for LFTB and being able to pick up a burger that fits a much smaller budget. The world has a lot of mouths to feed, and getting the most out of what's available is only right.
Just my small opinion.0 -
Does it bother anyone here how these animals are raised and why they need an ammonia bath? This meat isn't coming from sustainable farms, and it's not coming from healthy cows. The antibiotics needed to keep the animals alive do affect you when you eat it.
By the way, no, you don't have to eat anything you don't want to. That suggestion is always appreciated. But, I do have to live on Earth, and I do not appreciate the awful conditions of farms that pollute our environment. And, as microorganisms become more and more resistant to antibiotics because of the way we raise our animals, that also affects me and all of us. So, it's not just my choices I (all of us) have to live with.0 -
The meat is washed to prevent contamination that can occur during processing. Processing at the scale needed to feed 300
Million people is not necessarily as careful as processing a single animal for your family. This helps keep the safety at the levels required.
The antibiotics is getting a bit off topic, but when I was a kid we raised our own meat and even at low single family production levels - a periodic shot of an antibiotic like combiotic was regularly needed for their health. And human use, especially improper consumer driven use ("I don't care if they say I have a virus - I need antibiotics!") misuse ("I feel fine so I'm stopping taking them"), and overuse (toothpaste, soap, etc) of antibiotics surely has a much greater influence on the efficacy of antibiotics than incidental use in our food chain.0 -
The meat is washed to prevent contamination that can occur during processing. Processing at the scale needed to feed 300
Million people is not necessarily as careful as processing a single animal for your family. This helps keep the safety at the levels required.
The antibiotics is getting a bit off topic, but when I was a kid we raised our own meat and even at low single family production levels - a periodic shot of an antibiotic like combiotic was regularly needed for their health. And human use, especially improper consumer driven use ("I don't care if they say I have a virus - I need antibiotics!") misuse ("I feel fine so I'm stopping taking them"), and overuse (toothpaste, soap, etc) of antibiotics surely has a much greater influence on the efficacy of antibiotics than incidental use in our food chain.
Grain-fed cows in confined animal feeding operations are given antibiotics because they get sick from being fed grain. Cows are natural grass-eaters. When you pump them full of grain, they get sick and become infected with e coli. Their bodies can't break down high-starch diets. When you have a lot of e coli infected beef, you need to clean it. That's what's happening at those processing plants, because antibiotics aren't working well enough. The antibiotics issue is finally being addressed by the FDA (because it's a real issue):
http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/fda-changes-stance-antibiotic-use-food-producing-animals/168853.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fda-changes-stance-antibiotic-use-food-producing-animals0 -
Grain-fed cows in confined animal feeding operations are given antibiotics because they get sick from being fed grain. Cows are natural grass-eaters. When you pump them full of grain, they get sick and become infected with e coli. Their bodies can't break down high-starch diets. When you have a lot of e coli infected beef, you need to clean it. That's what's happening at those processing plants, because antibiotics aren't working well enough.
So... The cows should eat gluten-free?
Free-range, grass fed cows get sick too. There is this "new" theory called germ theory - this theory states that organisms get sick when they are infected with other naturally existing tiny organisms called germs. e.coli is one of these germs (a VERY common one).
You are also confusing surface cleaning with antibiotics - they are not alternatives, they are complementary. Even if you are on antibiotics - you still wash your hands after the bathroom right? Same thing here - during processing, some bacteria might escape - these are washed off in a "shower" of an ammonia and water solution.
Antibiotics are given to get and keep the animals healthy. Obviously, when more cows are living closer to one another they transmit germs more freely - like elementary school really. And sick cows don't grow as fast, and faster growing cows = more food for us at better prices.0 -
First people complain that we don't use all of the animal. Then we use all of the animal, and they complain about the aesthetics of it. And the complaints invariably come from people with zero experience in actually growing/raising food.
This stuff is simply an extension of what humans have done to maximize use of livestock animals since we started keeping livestock animals.
Amen. Hot dogs are a fine example.0 -
Grain-fed cows in confined animal feeding operations are given antibiotics because they get sick from being fed grain. Cows are natural grass-eaters. When you pump them full of grain, they get sick and become infected with e coli. Their bodies can't break down high-starch diets. When you have a lot of e coli infected beef, you need to clean it. That's what's happening at those processing plants, because antibiotics aren't working well enough.
So... The cows should eat gluten-free?
Free-range, grass fed cows get sick too. There is this "new" theory called germ theory - this theory states that organisms get sick when they are infected with other naturally existing tiny organisms called germs. e.coli is one of these germs (a VERY common one).
You are also confusing surface cleaning with antibiotics - they are not alternatives, they are complementary. Even if you are on antibiotics - you still wash your hands after the bathroom right? Same thing here - during processing, some bacteria might escape - these are washed off in a "shower" of an ammonia and water solution.
Antibiotics are given to get and keep the animals healthy. Obviously, when more cows are living closer to one another they transmit germs more freely - like elementary school really. And sick cows don't grow as fast, and faster growing cows = more food for us at better prices.
This, and in certain regions, there is added risk in what the cows eat WITH the grass they're eating. Blister beetles, for example, are a common cause of death among grazing livestock. It's better business sense to feed them grain.
It's amazing to me how uneducated people are when it comes to their food, and yet everybody is an expert.0 -
Grain-fed cows in confined animal feeding operations are given antibiotics because they get sick from being fed grain. Cows are natural grass-eaters. When you pump them full of grain, they get sick and become infected with e coli. Their bodies can't break down high-starch diets. When you have a lot of e coli infected beef, you need to clean it. That's what's happening at those processing plants, because antibiotics aren't working well enough.
So... The cows should eat gluten-free?
LOL. Yeah. That's right. I mean, I've read so much about this. Have you? If you were forced to eat something that you knew would make you sick, you'd get sick. That's not the same as saying by not eating what makes you sick you'll NEVER get sick.0 -
Grain-fed cows in confined animal feeding operations are given antibiotics because they get sick from being fed grain. Cows are natural grass-eaters. When you pump them full of grain, they get sick and become infected with e coli. Their bodies can't break down high-starch diets. When you have a lot of e coli infected beef, you need to clean it. That's what's happening at those processing plants, because antibiotics aren't working well enough.
So... The cows should eat gluten-free?
Free-range, grass fed cows get sick too. There is this "new" theory called germ theory - this theory states that organisms get sick when they are infected with other naturally existing tiny organisms called germs. e.coli is one of these germs (a VERY common one).
You are also confusing surface cleaning with antibiotics - they are not alternatives, they are complementary. Even if you are on antibiotics - you still wash your hands after the bathroom right? Same thing here - during processing, some bacteria might escape - these are washed off in a "shower" of an ammonia and water solution.
Antibiotics are given to get and keep the animals healthy. Obviously, when more cows are living closer to one another they transmit germs more freely - like elementary school really. And sick cows don't grow as fast, and faster growing cows = more food for us at better prices.
This, and in certain regions, there is added risk in what the cows eat WITH the grass they're eating. Blister beetles, for example, are a common cause of death among grazing livestock. It's better business sense to feed them grain.
It's amazing to me how uneducated people are when it comes to their food, and yet everybody is an expert.
Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.
0 -
First people complain that we don't use all of the animal. Then we use all of the animal, and they complain about the aesthetics of it. And the complaints invariably come from people with zero experience in actually growing/raising food.
This stuff is simply an extension of what humans have done to maximize use of livestock animals since we started keeping livestock animals.
Amen. Hot dogs are a fine example.
Not all hot dogs are made the same. Not all burgers are made the same. I can eat one type of hot dog and know that it's full of fillers, because I'm still hungry when I'm done (and I can read the packaging to verify). I can eat a hot dog that has better ingredients, and know it because it filled me up. Pretty simple.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions