But that year, ABC News ran a series of stories on lean, finely textured beef — the industry term for pink slime — and the process by which a South Dakota plant called Beef Products Inc. added it to ground beef to lower its fat content. This week, ABC is being taken to trial in a multibillion dollar lawsuit by the plant arguing that the story was defamatory. But the truth about pink slime is that, despite its unappetizing name, it’s entirely safe to eat. Sign Up Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. What seemed to scare consumers the most about pink slime — which ABC claimed was used in 70 percent of ground beef sold in American supermarkets — was that the lean beef trimmings were treated with ammonia.

Source: New York Times June 06, 2017 20:03 UTC