“Pink slime” is back and it’s as disgusting as ever. The United States Department of Agriculture will now allow producers to label the ammonia-treated lean beef trimmings “ground beef,” according to multiple news outlets.
In 2012 the beef industry’s use of “pink slime” resulted in serious consumer backlash after an ABC News report revealed that 70 percent of the ground beef at U.S. supermarkets contained the additive.
Making this vomit-worthy product involves treating beef scraps and cow connective tissue with ammonia to kill E. coli, salmonella, and other dangerous pathogens that may be present.
“Pink slime” is made of animal products called “trimmings,” a purposely vague word. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, trimmings consist of animal skin, blood, liver, head meat, animal feet, “lower-grade” meat, such as fatty tissue, and “other edible slaughter by-products.” Let’s repeat: other edible slaughter by-products—again, purposely vague. But hey, head and feet meat get labeled. What could be more disgusting than that?
Nauseated? So are we. If these nasty products aren’t enough to make you swear off meat forever, think about this: Innocent animals suffer unimaginable cruelty just so ground beef can be produced.
Thankfully, with so many great vegan meat alternatives, we can easily end our support of a cruel industry that puts profits over animals’ lives and human health.
Click here to learn more about leaving “pink slime” (and all other animal products) off your plate for good.
