An Easy Way to Avoid Slime

Okay. There’s been a lot of coverage recently about “pink slime,” which had the potential to creep its way into families’ meals. Only after a national report highlighting the use of pink slime in fast food meat did chains (notably McDonalds) agree to stop using it. It’s interesting that it took news reports and public outcries for pink slime to be phased out of meat.

According to The Daily, stores that say they do not sell meat with pink slime are A&P, Whole Foods, and Costco. Stores that do sell the meat include Target, WalMart, and Stop & Shop. The Coast Star reports that school districts in Ocean and Monmouth have also said they do not serve meat that contains slime.

Pink slime is a processed, cheap meat filler that contains slaughterhouse scraps that have been treated with ammonia to kill lingering bacteria. The reason for using slime, the meat industry claims, is to lower the price per pound of the meat you buy.

The Daily says that pink slime is potentially present in 70% of meat sold in American supermarkets. The Coast Star reports that the USDA argues that pink slime is perfectly safe for human consumption, but it is still allowing schools (beginning next school year) to choose whether to serve the slime or not.

New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez has written a letter to the USDA asking for full disclosure and clear labels on meat products sold in stores. Currently, pink slime does not have to be put on nutrition labels — since, technically, it is still meat.

Not sure if the meat your buying has pink slime? The folks at Arctic Market & Butcher make it easy: it sells only grass-fed, prime, and organic meats. Recently opened, Arctic Market is located on Arnold Avenue in Point Pleasant. Head on over.

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