Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Safeway Drops Pink Slime, Scott Stringer Implores DOE To Do Likewise
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 21, 2012
Modified Mar 21, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 21, 2012
Modified Mar 21, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The nation's second-largest supermarket chain has stopped selling what the meat industry calls “lean finely textured beef," more popularly known as “pink slime.” The substance, which is a low-cost filler made from fatty scraps of beef left over from cuts typically thrown away, is not allowed to be used in human food in the UK, and fast food chains such as McDonalds and Taco Bell have discontinued its use. But NYC schoolchildren are still getting slimed, and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer wants it to stop.
At a press conference today, Stringer implored the Department of Eduction to announce specific steps toward the elimination of pink slime. “When New York City lags behind McDonalds and Taco Bell in their standards for food quality, you know something’s awry,” Stringer said. “The Department of Education must end this repellant practice now—and the first thing they can do is to pull it from the shelves today. I cannot think of a more important issue than the health of our 1.1 million public school students, and that’s why I’m calling on DOE to act today.”
To make pink slime, the meat scraps and fat—which were once used once used for dog food and cooking oil—are separated by extreme heat, pushed through a tub, and treated with ammonia hydroxide, which is used to kill bacteria such as E. Coli and salmonella. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration does not require that the substance be disclosed as an ingredient in nutritional information listings. Critics, including former USDA scientists, say the substance is less nutritious than pure ground beef, and one microbiologist tells ABC News, "It’s not fresh ground beef. It’s a cheap substitute being added in."
In a statement, Safeway said it's "committed to providing our customers with the highest-quality products. While the USDA and food industry experts agree that lean finely textured beef is safe and wholesome, recent news stories have caused considerable consumer concern about this product. Safeway will no longer purchase ground beef containing lean finely textured beef." And here's Stringer's letter to NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott. Strong words!
Tagged
ammonia
pink slime
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .