When most people venture out to go grocery shopping, they are on an autopilot, “Fast and Furious” style frenzy to get in and get out. This is a necessity to the majority of Americans in order to stock their pantries and refrigerators with the essential food products for themselves and their families. How many of these people truly look at labels and know exactly what they are purchasing? It seems as though the “Type A” attitude of the majority of grocery shoppers, the primary goal is to purchase the best bargains in the shortest amount of time. However, could this lead to buying products that are potentially detrimental to their health?
Recently, ground beef processor AFA foods filed for bankruptcy protection and plans to sell some or all of its assets. This is a result of media coverage citing their beef products as “pink slime.” It can be assumed that some people are not as selective with which beef products they buy as some others might be, but no one in their right mind would purchase and eat beef associated with the word “slime.” This is all derivative from the use of an ammonia-treated filler the company calls “finely-textured beef.” If you look in your cabinets under your kitchen sink or even your bathroom sink, you are quite likely to discover ammonia. Ammonia can even be deadly if inhaled for certain lengths of time. How could it possibly be safe to be incorporated into beef products? This is the exact question food activists have asked, and have taken it a step further by campaigning to get it banned. The impact this “pink slime” is having on the beef industry is monumental. AFA, a producer of 500 million pounds of beef per year, is one of the largest beef companies in the country. Its products range from hamburger meat to beef skillet mix and fall under the product names of “Moran’s” and, ironically, “Miller Quality Meats.” These labels will no longer be available on grocery store shelves. Stationed in Prussia, Pennsylvania, the company has plants all over the country; such as Georgia, California, New York, Texas and Pennsylvania. All of which have been soliciting this “pink slime.” The phrase was coined by a former USDA microbiologist, named Gerald Zirnstein. He referred to the ground beef he saw in a different company called Beef Products Inc. (BPI). BPI is another company to halt productivity during the “pink slime” crisis. The details of the AFA bankruptcy are currently being hashed out. Hopefully, there will be a smooth transition for the company’s employees. In the meantime, make sure you know exactly what you’re buying in the grocery store, even if you’re juggling multiple children, jobs and obligations. If that’s not the issue with pausing and investigating your purchases for your safety, then what’s your beef?
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