Pink Slime For School Lunches

Consumers gained a heightened awareness of the term “pink slime” earlier this year when several major fast-food companies—including McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Burger King—vowed to discontinue use of the chemical-treated beef. But according to Huffington Post and The Daily, the US Department of Agriculture has purchased 7 million pounds of the substance to use in public school lunches. Pink slime is made from beef trimmings and scraps, including miscellaneous cow tissues, and decontaminated with ammonium hydroxide. Despite USDA claims that it is safe for human consumption, numerous reports have shown that the meat product is at increased risk of spreading diseases such as E. coli and salmonella.