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MEDIA MYTHCRUSHER Lean Finely Textured Beef MEDIA MYTHCRUSHER Lean Finely Textured Beef Since first generating media attention several years ago, Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) has been a popular topic for reporters to cover. However, much of the coverage -- from the images used to various descriptions of the product -- is not accurate. This document addresses common mistakes and offers tips to improve accuracy. #1: LFTB is NOT Pink Slime In fact, no one really knows where this photo comes from or what exactly it shows. Use of the pejorative term “pink slime” in reporting about LFTB gained traction after the series of ABC This is LFTB: reports in 2012, but there is nothing slimy about it. Using the term injects bias into your story. LFTB is what the name suggests: lean beef that is finely textured. It gets this texture as a result of the trimmings being used being very fine ground before fat is removed from fat using a centrifuge, much like the way milk is separated from cream. The resulting product is 94-97 percent lean beef and is typically frozen and mixed with other trim to make ground beef. #2: Beware the “Strawberry Yogurt” This is not LFTB: #3: LFTB is Not a Filler or an Additive These inaccurate terms are commonly used in media coverage of LFTB, yet by federal definition, it is neither of these things. Fillers and additives are USDA and FDA defined terms which indicate something added to a food that changes its characteristics. LFTB is a very lean type of beef and when included to make ground beef, the end result is simply a leaner ground beef blend. Reporters looking for an accurate term to describe LFTB without using the proper name over and over should refer to it as a “lean beef”. #4: LFTB is Not Made From “Scraps” This photo was used in some of the original media coverage about LFTB, but is not a photo of the product. “Scraps” suggests that the meat was intended to be thrown away. LFTB is made from the trimmings that result when a carcass is broken into smaller pieces. processing aid because while it is used during Meat companies typically use as much meat as possible processing, it does not significantly increase the amount from the animal and throw away nothing. It’s the naturally occurring in the meat. It was declared safe by sustainable thing to do. LFTB is part of this process of the FDA in 1974 and has been used in LFTB since 2001. separating meat from fat to use in ground beef. Without this process, it is estimated that more than 1.5 #8: LFTB is Labeled – It’s Called Beef. million cattle would need to be raised to supply the same amount of lean beef. Some have claimed that when it is used, LFTB should be specifically labeled. It is on the label. LFTB is beef, just #5: Trimmings are Wholesome like all other types of beef used to make ground beef. It would become very confusing for every single type of Some stories suggest that because LFTB is made using beef used to make ground beef were separately stated “trimmings,” the product is less wholesome. In fact, the in the ingredients statement. As you may have heard, vast majority ground beef we eat is made from “beef is beef”. After concerns were generated by media trimmings. “Trimmings” is a term that describes exactly reports, USDA allowed companies to also provide where the meat comes from: they are pieces of meat information on their package as containing LFTB when it that are trimmed away from steaks and roasts as those is used. Some companies have chosen to make this cuts are shaped for sale at grocery stores and packaging distinction. restaurants. This trimmed away meat is then used in ground beef and other processed beef products. LFTB is #9: LFTB’s Safety Record is Stellar made from trimmings that are originally fattier, where it is difficult to separate the lean meat from the fat by Like all other meat products, LFTB is produced under hand. Thus a centrifuge is used to accomplish this. USDA inspection, and inspectors are in the plants that produce it every single day. USDA also routinely tests for pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7. If these are discovered, the product cannot enter the marketplace. USDA data show that the incidence of E. coli in fresh ground beef has been declining significantly over the past decade. The number of USDA ground beef samples testing positive for E. coli O157:H7 dropped more than 90 percent during this period. Lean finely textured beef products have been a part of that success story. #10: There are Two Types of Finely Textured Beef While LFTB produced by Beef Products Inc is the focus of ongoing legal action against ABC, a similar product is also produced by Cargill. Known as Finely Textured Beef, it uses citric acid to destroy bacteria. The facts listed throughout this document also apply to FTB. #6 – LFTB is NOT made from Meat That Previously Was Additional Resources on LFTB are available at: Only Used for Dog Food. www.meatinstitute.org/LFTB Claims to this effect are patently false. While beef For more information, contact: trimmings CAN be used to make pet food, that doesn’t Eric Mittenthal mean they are ONLY suited to this purpose just like the Vice President of Public Affairs grains used in pet foods aren’t only suited to pets. 202/587-4238 #7: Ammonia is Not Used to Make LFTB A small puff of food grade ammonium hydroxide is used to destroy bacteria as an added step for safety. Ammonium hydroxide is used in a number of different food products including some baked goods, cheeses and puddings. USDA considers ammonium hydroxide a .
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