Governors of three states toured a Nebraska plant that makes "pink slime" in a bid to persuade grossed-out consumers to accept the processed beef trimmings as safe. Meantime, local grocers are addressing the controversy in different ways.
It's a matter of semantics and some say a matter of product safety,
but Nebraska beef producers say the "pink slime controversy" is much ado about nothing.
Officials met in South Sioux City on Thursday to emphasize the beef's safety and to suggest a name change. The suggested name for the beef which has earned the nickname of "pink slime" due to the treatment process used during production is " lean finely textured beef."
While some local grocers- like Winters who owns Leon's Gourmet Grocer say they'll never carry the beef, others like Hyvee say demand for the meat which tends to be more lean and less expensive is high enough to keep it on the shelves. Winters says he's seeing a demand for higher end cuts.
Grocers don't have to disclose the processing method which makes it tougher for customers to tell what they are buying. Leading Hyvee to decide to offer both types of beef while clearly labeling the meat so customers can make their own choice.
