An online effort to ban beef containing an additive known as 'pink slime' from the federal school lunch program has garnered almost 19,000 supporters in less than four days.About 6 percent, or 7 million pounds, of the beef purchased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the program this year contains the product, made of beef trim and treated with ammonium hydroxide to kill possible pathogens such as E. coli. There is no concern about safety risks associated with the product, Dirk Fillpot, USDA spokesman, said in a statement.
McDonald's Corp., the world's largest restaurant chain, Burger King Holdings Inc., and Yum! Brands Inc.'s Taco Bell have stopped using the substance. McDonald's dropped the ingredient to be consistent with our global beef supply chain, according to a statement from the Oak Brook, Illinois-based company.
This is like the slaughter house sweepings, said Bettina Elias Siegel, of Houston, who started the online petition on her blog The Lunch Tray. Fast-food chains have stopped using it because people vote with their dollars, but kids in cafeterias are captive to what's served there.
Siegel said sentiment about the product is built around the belief it's made from inferior parts and may harbor pathogens. Read More
