You’ve probably read about it in the news or on social media – “Pink slime” is the term used for a mixture of beef scraps and connective tissue (formerly used only for pet food and rendering) that is treated with ammonia hydroxide to remove pathogens like salmonella and E coli.
Even apart from safety concerns, it is simply wrong to feed our children connective tissues and beef scraps that were, in the past, destined for use in pet food and rendering and were not considered fit for human consumption. Due to public outcry, fast food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King have stopped using pink slime in their food. But the federal government continues to allow its use in school food and has just authorized the purchase of ground beef which collectively contains an additional 7 million pounds of pink slime for consumption by our nation’s children.
Tell the USDA to STOP the use of ground beef containing pink slime in the National School Lunch Program. Visit www.stoppinkslime.org for petitions and more ways to get involved.
And remember – online petitions can work! Just recently, Campbell’s vowed to get BPA out of their cans due to pressure from petitions thanks to organizations like Healthy Child Healthy World and Moms Rising. Follow these organizations for more ways to advocate for public health, safety, and justice!