Schools Can Drop Pink Slime

In response to public outcry surrounding the use of ammoniated beef—also known as “pink slime”—in public school lunches, the US Department of Agriculture announced yesterday that, come fall, schools enrolled in the national lunch program will be able to choose between serving leaner beef containing the substance and fattier beef made without it. The announcement comes after The Daily reported that the USDA purchased 7 million pounds of the chemically treated beef trimmings for use in school lunches. Though it insists that all products served in its lunch program surpass stringent federal safety standards, the USDA says the decision was made in order to respect the demands of its customers.