Why isn’t Pink Slime a Crime

By Chris Gotwals –

It’s pink, meaty,and filled with chemicals. It’s “Pink Slime.”

The “meat” is the low-grade trimmings of meat that isn’t sold to stores or restaurants. First it is spun out to remove the fat, then it is bathed in ammonium hydroxide to make it acceptable for food health standards. Then it is infused into higher grade meats to increase the poundage and increase the price.

Most schools are now dropping this meaty substitute off the menus and for awhile, many school cafeterias, will not have hamburgers and other Pink Slime-created meals until a “consumer acceptable” substitute is found.

Photo taken from educationnews.org

Randy Wolfgang, Director of Support Services in the Penn Manor School District said, “I can’t say we don’t have it here at Penn Manor because I specifically prohibited it, I just use reputable processors and don’t buy cheap food.”

Also in a newsletter sent to the Penn Manor District’s staff Wolfgang stated that, “These beef products come from our two suppliers, Tyson and Silver springs. Both of these companies have provided documentation to the school district that finely textured beef is not used in their products processed for the school lunch program.”

Sherlyn Wolf, the Penn Manor High School Cafeteria Manager stated, “We have never used pink slime or low grade meats.”

Penn Manor Junior Deion Valentin, didn’t even know what Pink Slime was and said that if he ever found out the school uses it or any of his favorite restaurants he would never eat there again.

On the other hand Penn Manor senior Michael Schneider said that “If this meat is said to be safe and is approved by the food safety organizations then obviously it is safe to eat and people are blowing this out of proportion because they think it’s gross.”

Pink slime, and other similar methods like it have been used for years. Fast food chains used to or still are using it, cafeterias have been serving it to children for years, and just now companies are giving it up.

So the next time a piece of steak falls on the ground, dip it in aluminum hydroxide, it should be safe.