Dear Editor,
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Lean finely textured beef is just that. Beef. When steaks and roasts are cut, it creates the "trim" that becomes ground beef. The companies supplying lean finely textured beef use a process to remove a lot of the fat from the lean beef in the trim, which is then added to ground beef as a concentrated, lean source of protein. It's beef plain and simple. The nutritional profiles of lean finely textured beef and traditional ground beef are nearly identical. Lean finely textured beef is 90%-to-95% lean (5%-10% fat) and, just like all beef, is a good or excellent source of 10 essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins.
Ground beef offers affordable nutrition for kids, which is critical given shrinking school budgets, rising food costs and the fact that for many kids, school lunch is their best chance at a getting a well-balanced meal during the day.
Ground beef that includes lean finely textured beef is safe according to independent scientists, safety advocates and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). By law, E. coli and Salmonella cannot be in meat supplied for school lunch. In some cases, a small, safe amount of ammonia hydroxide gas or citric acid is used to produce the lean finely textured beef, which like other safety measures along the way, reduces the potential for bacterial contamination. FSIS has reviewed and approved this practice as safe, and safety advocates have applauded it as an effective way of ensuring safe beef for consumers.
If you would like more information, please visit www.beefisbeef.com.
Respectfully,
Sue Krentz
Past President Arizona State Cowbelles 1995-1996
The Cowbelles
Comments
beefeater wrote on May 1, 2012 11:17 PM:
I understand people in the beef industry wanting to protect their interests, but that's just part of a huge national problem--protecting industry interests above society's interests is just unethical. It's also a big reason our government is broken. "
Still not convinced wrote on Apr 17, 2012 1:12 PM:
Even though the scientists say it's OK to consume the USFDA say the same thing about giving cattle growth harmones. Now they are not so sure if its bad for human health or not.
In 1988 the European Union banned the import of US beef due to our use of steroids in our cattle.
I also try to stay away from beef product ("parts") patties Hearts organs pieces etc. I perfer fresh ground Chuck for my burgers. And the majority of the beef I consume is farm/ranch raised and taken to the butcher directly.
Expensive yes, but always quality meat.. "