Not Pretty in Pink

In case you were wondering: The school district does not use "Lean Finely Textured Beef," according to Lisa Dollins, Food Services Director for SAU 25.

Never heard of "Lean Finely Textured Beef?"

Perhaps you've heard of "pink slime," the other name for the product that has made headlines since the USDA issued an announcement March 15 that it would offer schools additional options – though it maintains LFTB to be "safe, nutritious and affordable."

The LFTB process involves a wash of ammonium hydroxide.

Here is the USDA announcement in full, and an excerpt:

In response to requests from school districts across the country, the USDA announced today that it will offer more choices to schools in the National School Lunch Program when it comes to purchases of ground beef products.

USDA only purchases products for the school lunch program that are safe, nutritious and affordable – including all products containing Lean Finely Textured Beef. However, due to customer demand, the department will be adjusting procurement specifications for the next school year so schools can have additional options in procuring ground beef products. USDA will provide schools with a choice to order product either with or without Lean Finely Textured Beef.

USDA continues to affirm the safety of Lean Finely Textured Beef product for all consumers and urges customers to consult science based information on the safety and quality of this product. Lean Finely Textured Beef is a meat product derived from a process which separates fatty pieces from beef trimmings to reduce the overall fat content.