Yay, pink slime is back!

[Dirk Hofman]

Not exactly front page news these days but...

https://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eat...ed-ground-beef

“USDA says filler once known as 'pink slime' can be labeled ground beef...”

[David Eastwood]

Virtually the only beef we buy comes from Tom, a farmer in north-west-central Minnesota who we became acquainted with during our homeschooling years.

Grass-fed beef, a steer at a time, split between 4-7 families, depending on the need. It's the best beef I've ever tasted, despite the fact that the butchery from the local creamery is not exactly finessed Most of what we get is ground beef (aka hamburger, aka mince), and there's nary a gram of anything remotely slimy.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by eatswodo

Virtually the only beef we buy comes from Tom, a farmer in north-west-central Minnesota who we became acquainted with during our homeschooling years.

Grass-fed beef, a steer at a time, split between 4-7 families, depending on the need. It's the best beef I've ever tasted, despite the fact that the butchery from the local creamery is not exactly finessed Most of what we get is ground beef (aka hamburger, aka mince), and there's nary a gram of anything remotely slimy.

Sounds like the way to do it.

[tbeltrans]

Considering how much ground beef (i.e. hamburger) costs these days, I really didn't think this was worth a "yay!"...

The lean meat is turned into something that looks akin to pink soft serve ice cream — hence the name — and added to some brands of ground beef to add bulk inexpensively.


I would rather get the difference in weight, in the ground beef rather than filler, regardless of color and texture of the filler.

Tony

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

Considering how much ground beef (i.e. hamburger) costs these days, I really didn't think this was worth a "yay!"...

The lean meat is turned into something that looks akin to pink soft serve ice cream — hence the name — and added to some brands of ground beef to add bulk inexpensively.


I would rather get the difference in weight, in the ground beef rather than filler, regardless of color and texture of the filler.

Tony

My "Yay!" was meant as sarcasm. Not happy this kind of restriction has been removed from the food supply.

[Borderdon]

Interesting, but I gotta run to the fridge and check my tofu—-

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by Borderdon

Interesting, but I gotta run to the fridge and check my tofu—-

White slime!

[imwjl]

I was aware of that and other regulation matters because I set up a way to automate and better deal with recalls, FDA or USDA info and grind logs for our meat departments and butchers. That didn't bother me because we (this family) don't consume stuff like that.

What has been a concern is/was the pressure and requests in our current governance environment to cut inspections in areas where it can impact more or all of our choices in stores. This Bloomberg article covers things I catch in my work.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...mits-of-safety

At one point my my career I was part of team that did a very innovative thing with scales and yield reporting in meat packing. It was part of the case ready trend we all have these days. Our work space was next to the private space given to inspectors. We all started wondering if the boost to manufacturing and consumer efficiency would be boosting public health problems. Output from the plants was getting spread out to retail faster and wider.

It was also just downright interesting to have that extended period of being close to how the meat inspectors worked. That same employer also had us in other projects both private and public. I developed a whole lot of respect for the inspectors vs the way they'd be stereotyped. They were serous about their work and hard working people.

It's pretty easy for us to avoid the pink slime vs the ways we have little control of other matters.

[Dirk Hofman]

Thanks imwjl,

Definitely a good time to be very careful about what we eat.

[valleyguy]

Frankly I don't see anything wrong with this stuff. It is meat, fat removed and sterilized.

[Dirk Hofman]

I think the issue really is that it's filler, and they don't have to label it as having filler, which seems dishonest at best.

That they have to treat it with ammonia to sterilize it and that when they reduced the ammonia treatment a few years ago a bunch of people got sick doesn't speak too well of it.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by valleyguy

Frankly I don't see anything wrong with this stuff. It is meat, fat removed and sterilized.

It is ground beef but not ground beef as many perceive, or ground beef as most doing local and regional food can process it or would sell it.

We have traditional grocery operations that could or might have something with that product but we also have 3 meat markets where Amish and local farmers still bring things with hoofs attached. That processed stuff is really a different product category.

Big labels and some segments in meat, grocery and BWL are hurting while many small firm products are popular. The efforts to combat that include changing the labeling & marketing. I will agree there's nothing wrong with fat removed and sterilized but don't agree with labeling that lets highly processed and non-traditional foods compete as if they're not.

[KevWind]

Well just look at it as a move to become more consistent ? Since we seemed to have gotten rid of "truth in labeling" in politics, why not food and drugs also ? Just imagine how liberating the return of "doctor recommended" cigarettes would feel

[Silly Moustache]

Well folks, I'm afraid that I wouldn't eat such stuff.

We only eat beef about once a month - about a 1/2 lb of fillet steak bought from a local farm shop that buys only from a local farm. Totally unprocessed.

We buy local lamb when I cook a Greek dish, such as kleftiko, and hardly any pork.

Mostly we eat fish or locally raised chicken.

This year we might possibly try some venison when the local cull occurs on the earl's estate, but it depends on my abilities.

We don't buy any processed foods.

[jpd]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

Considering how much ground beef (i.e. hamburger) costs these days, I really didn't think this was worth a "yay!"...

The lean meat is turned into something that looks akin to pink soft serve ice cream — hence the name — and added to some brands of ground beef to add bulk inexpensively.


I would rather get the difference in weight, in the ground beef rather than filler, regardless of color and texture of the filler.

Tony

Years ago we used to add red bull meat from Australia to add color and bulk....never liked the idea but it sold very well. What is passed off as "Ground Beef" by companies doing this pink slime additive is even worse....