The recent outcry over ‘pink slime’, the ground beef treated with ammonium hydroxide, which has been provided to schools since the early 80s by such companies as Beef Products, Inc, has prompted the USDA to offer untreated, fattier ground beef. Beef is treated with ammonia to destroy E. Coli, but the thought of food being treated with ammonia just didn’t sit right with some people although the FDA claims that such processing of beef is safe for human consumption.

Ammonium hydroxide at low levels is deemed safe for use in food products such as baked goods, cheeses, chocolates, and puddings. Yet, the thought of using a product in food that could, in high dosages potentially kill, sounds unappealing. Each time the topic resurfaces, it fuels a little bit more curiosity about its fit for consumption label by the FDA. This time, parents and the media frenzy prompted the USDA to offer public schools a choice of the beef with filler or less lean beef without it.

The irony of the whole thing is that although they’ve offered an alternative for beef, the real issue is the use of ammonium hydroxide on food. Even though it’s been removed from beef in schools, the product is still used in restaurants and on a lot of other products consumed every day, and could most likely be shipped to schools. Until they can say that they’ve removed processed foods or ammonia completely from foods, I don’t think removing it from beef solves the whole issue, although it could be a step towards the right direction if more studies show that ammonia really is unsafe for human consumption.