Pink slime is a name used for a controversial beef product t

Pink slime is a name used for a controversial beef product that has been washed in ammonia to kill any bacteria on the meat. This product is used as a filler and most ground beef can contain up to 15 percent of the pink slime. Most of all ground beef in school lunches contains pink slime. You will not know if pink slime is used in your children\'s school lunch, because the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not mandate it be listed because they consider it a process. Do you feel there could be any health care concerns from the use of ammonia in pink slime? Explain. How does this make you feel knowing that the USDA allows this product to be used in your children\'s school lunch? Explain.

Solution

Lean finely textured beef or \"pink slime\" has following characteristics:

It is 94 to 97 percent lean

High in protein and low in fat

It is treated with legally tested ammonia that prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria like E.coli and other strains of same bacteria.

It is a low grade meat prepared by heating the beef trimmings and subjected to centrifuge to reduce their fat amount, leaving behind 94 to 97 percent lean beef.Afterwhich it is treated with ammonia or ammonium hydroxide that is used as an antimicrobial agent and preservative in meat products since time immemorial. It prevents growth of food spoiling bacteria like Salmonella and various strains of pathogenic E.coli.

There is no need to worry if we come across any food item that contains ammonia or its permitted derivatives because permitted concentration of ammonia do no harm to human body as it is one of the physiological product produced by human body. Negligible amount of ammonia did not harm us.

However ammonia can only cause harm if it is in excess or above the optimal level. Because high amount of ammonia is toxic to human body and increases the work load on liver because liver is the organ that converts toxic ammonia to less toxic urea and uric acid that are eventually expelled out of the body via kidney. Hence it can harm patients with liver or kidney problems. Too much consumption of pink slime must be avoided. Also, people allergic to ammonia must prevent eating pink slime.