U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., is among 10 House Democrat co-sponsors of a bill that would amend federal laws to require labeling for all beef that contains lean finely textured beef, also known as "pink slime."
The REAL Beef (Requiring Easy and Accurate Labeling of Beef) Act follows calls from Congress members who want the so-called "pink slime" banned from use in school cafeterias. The ammonia-treated beef scraps are often used as filler in school meals.
"This is about choice and transparency," Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree, the bill's lead sponsor, said in a statement last week. "Parents and consumers want to choose whether or not they serve pink slime, but they can't do that unless they know whether or not it's in the product they are buying."
Recent public outrage has sparked industry change. Minnetonka-based Cargill Inc., one of the nation's major producers of finely textured beef, said it has reduced production.
