Would You Eat This? Pink Slime with A Side of Ammonia A recent
headline reports that according to two former microbiologists
who worked at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food
Safety Inspection Services, “pink slime” is now found in
cafeterias around the country. The substance, which is made of
beef scraps, cow connective tissues and other trimmings and then
is treated with ammonia hydroxide – a colorless solution used to
kill pathogens and usually found in concentrations up to 30%,
used in household cleaners, photography, and fertilizers,
textiles, rubber, and pharmaceuticals, and also used as a
refrigerant. It obviously doesn’t appeal to everyone and has
apparently been rejected by McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Burger
King. Which makes it all the more surprising that the National
School Lunch Program ends up buying the leftovers, approximately
7 million pounds. “Made by grinding together connective tissue
and beef scraps normally destined for dog food and rendering,
(these) trimmings are then trea