Outrage over ‘pink slime’ could end up costing you

The average price of ground beef is expected to increase
due to a story that industry experts have called “over
hyped” and “poorly reported.”

Local grocery store chains including Fred Meyer, Safeway
and Albertsons announced they would pull products
containing “lean, finely textured beef,” or so-called
“pink slime,” in response to public outrage over the
product; a move that will also decrease the lower-cost
options available to consumers.

“It provides another product at another price point,” said
Jack Field, executive vice president of the Washington
Cattlemen’s Association, who stressed that the “safe and
nutritious” filler gave consumers a less-expensive
alternative to pure ground beef.

“In today’s economic times, that is certainly a concern to
everyone in the beef industry. We want to be sure that
there is a product for every consumer out there.”

The Washington State Beef Commission said Monday that
outrage over the ammonia-treated product, which is made
from fatty bits of meat leftover from cuts, will also
drive up prices for remaining beef products as the
industry faces a record-low supply of cattle.

“We were already experiencing tight supplies, which
obviously will drive up the price, so then when you take
an additional 10 to 12 pounds of beef production away per
animal, it just exacerbates the problem,” said Executive
Director Patti Brumbach. On average, 10 to 12 pounds of
trimmings per cow are used to make “lean, finely textured
beef.”

Brumbach said using all parts of the animal is crucial to
maintain supply.

The boycott over “pink slime” has also forced its maker to
suspended operations at three of four facilities
nationwide as the business has taken a “substantial hit.”
More than 650 workers have lost their jobs.

“We produce safe, wholesome, nutritious beef and we’ve
done so for 30 years,” said Craig Letch, director of food
quality and assurance for Beef Products Inc., which is
based in Dakota Dunes, S.D. “But unfortunately with
consumer misperception due to misinformation, we’ve had to
make some very difficult decisions.”

Federal regulators say the product, which has been used
for years, meets food safety standards. But critics call
it an unappetizing example of industrialized food
production.

The Associated Press contributed to this report