San Francisco State University Dietetics 1600 Holloway Ave San Francisco, CA 94132

March 6, 2013

Dear Sir, Thank you for your inquiry regarding pink slime. There has been quite a lot of buzz about pink slime recently and separating facts from rumors can be difficult. Pink Slime, also known as Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB), is lean beef that has gone through a relatively new treatment process. LFTB comes from fatty trimmings of meat that were formerly used in pet food, but now, thanks to this new process, are safe for human consumption. First, the trimmings are simmered to tenderize the meat. Then a centrifuge is used to separate out the fat which weighs significantly less than the meat. This separation process makes LFTB lean. The third part of the process, treating with ammonia, has gained a lot of attention. The meat is exposed to ammonium hydroxide gas which effectively kills contaminants such as E. coli or Salmonella. Ammonia is actually used in many foods and is safe in small doses, but can give food a different smell and taste. People who are sensitive or allergic to ammonia may prefer meat without LFTB. According to Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, Under Secretary for Food Safety, LFTB or pink slime is safe for consumption. However, as with all large food production plants and especially plants that handle meat, contamination is possible. Since your family enjoys hamburgers often, I recommend checking the federal website for food recalls: http://www.recalls.gov/food.html. This will alert you to any meats and foods you and your family should avoid. A great and fast resource for future food safety concerns is www.foodsafety.gov. I hope this information has helped you make a better decision about what is best for you and your family. Thank you, again, for your inquiry. Sincerely,

Cheryl Gregory

References Coghlan, Andy. (2012, March 19). Is pink slime being unfairly demonized?. New Scientist. Retrieved from http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21602-is-pink-slime-beingunfairly-demonised.html. Hagen, Elisabeth. (2012, March 22). Setting the Record Straight on Beef [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/03/22/setting-the-record-straight-on-beef/. Moss, Michael. (2009, December 30). Safety of Beef Processing Method is Questioned. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html?page wanted=all&_r=0.