Oh gee. I just saw a news bulletin that the factory that makes the "pink slime" that has been going into ground beef in this country has had to close down some of their plants because of "lack of demand" for their product. That would be the "pink slime."

Really? There are people who don't want pink slime in their ground beef? Gee. Who would have thought?

~ ~ ~

Just found this:

"Pink slime, also known as boneless lean beef trimmings or lean finely textured beef, refers to an industrial byproduct created from low quality beef trimmings treated with ammonia gas to render it acceptable for food health standards.

[from WIKIPEDIA]

~ ~ ~

Ever since I first heard this story about the pink slime it has grossed me out totally. And every time I hear this story on the news, it's always at suppertime, and just when we are sitting at the table eating our supper. I have to literally turn the channel to continue eating because this whole subject just makes me sick to my stomach. I have to admit, though, that I have not researched it yet. I am not sure I know what this pink slime really is except that it is some kind of a filler in ground beef (aka hamburg) that is made with ammonia or something like that. (See the info I gleaned from Wikipedia above this paragraph...)

Maybe I should have researched this before writing about it, but the other day something happened. I was planning on making a meatloaf for supper. That morning, I pulled out a new package of some ground turkey meat from the freezer. It was only about 1 pound. I thought, at the time, that probably there wasn't any pink slime in turkey, just ground beef (but I haven't actually determined that as a fact yet). So out it came. But I thought that the meatloaf might be a bit small, so I rummaged in the freezer for more, and I found a small zip-lock bag with some leftover ground beef in it. About 1/3 of a pound. Mixing meats in a meatloaf has always been a favorite technique of mine; I usually mix pork and lamb with beef but why not with turkey? So I pulled out the little bag of ground beef and decided that would be just enough.

At suppertime that night I started to prepare the meatloaf. First I got out all the ingredients that get added in a large mixing bowl. Finally it was time to put in the meat. In went the turkey. When I opened the bag of ground beef, my natural instincts kicked in and I put my nose into the top of the bag first, just to be sure it was OK.

It was NOT OK. It smelled like ammonia!

Honest to gawd. Into the garbage disposal it went. I spiffed up the turkey meatloaf with other stuff and it was fine, as usual.

But man oh man. Ammonia! So I had pink slime in my freezer! And I probably have more since I know there are some more bags of hamburg in there. I can't decide what to do. We've been eating this kind of meat for years, all our lives, and not knowing about this slime stuff. Do I toss out all the frozen ground beef now?

What to do?

If anyone has any more info on this subject, I would welcome it. Meanwhile, I'm going to do a little research online now and see what's what. I think "turkey" meatloaf will be my new norm here.

I can only hope that since the pink slime plants are closing, the hamburg producers are not going to be adding it any longer. I can only hope that's the case. Or maybe this is a sign from above that we should start to wean ourself off ground beef altogether?

Cheers,

Bex

P.S. Want to know how fast food breaks down in the body? You've got to see this video/experiment and watch the McD's french fries. Oh yeah... those suckers will never pass these lips ever again! Actually, I don't eat this stuff any more so no problem there, but if any of you do, maybe give it a second thought...

P.P.S. Want to know how they make those yummy (?) chicken nuggets? Take a gander here.

P.P.P.S. And if you thought by eating at Arby's would let you off the hook, think again!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

[Anatole France]

For a really good, albeit long, read, see "From Marblehead to Provincetown: The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Skater"