Pink slime, the ammonia-treated meat by-product making its way into our ground beef, continues to haunt our hungry nation.
Although the maker of this “product,” Beef Products Inc., has now suspended three of the four plant operations, we're still thinking twice before indulging in our favorite fast food burgers. Until this slimy controversy goes away, here are five pink-slime-free burgers for your fast food fix.
1. McDonald’sAs of late last August, McDonald’s confirmed that it is no longer using pink slime in its burgers. In a statement on its website, Todd Bacon, the senior director of quality systems, wrote:
"At the beginning of 2011, we made a decision to discontinue the use of ammonia-treated beef in our hamburgers. This product has been out of our supply chain since August of last year. This decision was a result of our efforts to align our global standards for how we source beef around the world."
While we’re unsure about the other ingredients (or chemicals) you’ll put into your body if you visit the Golden Arches, at least you can be confident you aren’t consuming pink slime.
- Least bad-for-you option: Hamburger, 250 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of protein
Their plain hamburger with a regular bun, ketchup, mustard, pickles and onions totals out to only 250 calories. This is quite low compared to their 540-calorie Big Mac.
2. Burger KingFortunately for consumers, the fast food giant has reportedly joined McDonald’s in abandoning the ammonium-treated beef trimmings.
- Least bad-for-you option: Hamburger, 260 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of protein
Ringing in at less than 300 calories, this flame-broiled patty on a sesame-seed bun includes pickles, ketchup and mustard. Add some lettuce, tomato and onion for only 10 calories more and you’ve got yourself a delicious burger. But make sure to pass on the mayo — adding this topping puts on an extra 160 calories.
3. Wendy’sAlthough they don’t refer to the product as “pink slime,” Wendy’s states directly on their website that their beef is "100 percent pure beef from North American raised cattle, has no fillers, no additives, no flavor boosters and no ammonia treatments."
- Least bad-for-you option: Cheesy Cheddarburger, 300 calories, 15 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of protein
Based on its abundance of cheese, you wouldn’t think a Cheesy Cheddarburger from Wendy's would be one of the healthier burger options on the menu, but it’s only 300 calories. Topped with one slice of American cheese and a delicious cheddar cheese sauce, it’s pretty tasty. Add on some lettuce, tomatoes and pickles for only 10 more calories.
4. Jack in the BoxJack in the Box is another fast food chain that claims to have ended the use of pink-slime-infected beef and states on their website, “We only use 100 percent pure beef in our hamburgers.”
- Least bad-for-you option: Hamburger Deluxe with no mayo-onion sauce, 281 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of protein
Although Jack in the Box's mayo-onion sauce is delicious, subtracting this 44-calorie topping puts their Hamburger Deluxe on our list. Low in saturated fat compared to other fast food options, this burger choice is one of the healthier sandwich options on their menu.
5. Chick-fil-AIf you really want to avoid the pink slime saga, stick to fast food joints such as Chick-fil-A. Although you can’t get a beef burger here, you can safely indulge in anything on the menu, like one of their health-friendly chicken burgers, knowing it’s not packed with any pink slime condiments.
- Least bad-for-you option: Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich, 290 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 29 grams of protein
Although you won't find any beef at this fast food joint, you can safely enjoy a chicken burger that will leave you guilt-free and slime-free.
FAQs
McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Burger King announce they no longer use pink slime in their menu items. ABC's Jim Avila airs a story on meat processor Beef Products reporting that 70% of ground beef at supermarkets contains "lean finely textured beef," as the company calls it.
Does Taco Bell use pink slime? ›
Food Safety Network recently reported that fast-food giants McDonald's, Taco Bell and Burger King are no longer going to be using ammoniated beef in their products. Ammoniated beef is just a fancy name for 'pink slime' which has been the subject of controversy the past few years.
Which fast-food restaurants use pink slime? ›
It turns out that McDonald's nuggets have actually been pink slime-free since 2003 when they switched over to all white, non-mechanically separated chicken parts, but the Golden Arches' burgers still contained a beef variety of the "pink slime." And Burger King and Taco Bell were using the mechanically separated beef, ...
Does Wendys use pink slime? ›
“We've never used 'pink slime,' and we never will,” the ad says. “Pink slime” is a low-cost filler that has been used for years to lower the overall fat content of ground beef. While consumers have grown alarmed by the filler, it isn't dangerous, government officials and grocery chains say.
Do Bubba burgers have pink slime? ›
A spokeswoman also said its frozen chuck, sirloin burgers and Bubba Burgers are pink slime-free.
Does Walmart meat have pink slime? ›
Wal-Mart And Grocers To Offer Beef Without 'Pink Slime' : The Salt Wal-Mart has become the latest food retailer to announce that it's making changes after listening to customer concerns about lean finely textured beef, known by detractors as "pink slime."
What stores use pink slime? ›
According to The Daily, Whole Foods and Costco have said they do not sell meat with pink slime. The stores that sell store-ground meat with pink slime, according to the Daily, are Target, Safeway, Walmart, and Albertsons. In a response to CBS 5, Safeway said: "We are reviewing the issue now.
Are McDonald's Nuggets made from pink slime? ›
Do You Use So-Called 'Pink Slime' Or 'Pink Goop' In Your Chicken McNuggets®? No, our Chicken McNuggets® do not contain what some people call "pink slime" or "pink goop." We've seen the photo of "pink goop" or "pink slime" in association with McDonald's.
Does Whole Foods use pink slime? ›
“It's important to Whole Foods Market that our shoppers know that when they purchase meat at our stores that they can be confident that our ground beef is free of artificial colors, flavors or preservatives – meaning there is never an ounce of pink slime allowed in any of our stores.”
Is Chick-fil-A pink slime? ›
Chick-fil-AIf you really want to avoid the pink slime saga, stick to fast food joints such as Chick-fil-A. Although you can't get a beef burger here, you can safely indulge in anything on the menu, like one of their health-friendly chicken burgers, knowing it's not packed with any pink slime condiments.
Pink slime is a beef product that is only used in other beef products. They don't put it in ground turkey, chicken, or pork.
Does Aldi meat have pink slime? ›
Batavia-based Aldi Inc, in response to growing customer concerns, announced that it will no longer purchase ground beef made with lean finely textured beef — commonly known as "pink slime" — although the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved it as safe and wholesome beef.
What ground beef has pink slime? ›
The term “pink slime” was not developed by the food industry. Rather it was a nickname developed by a scientist (Gerald Zirnstein, a former USDA microbiologist) to describe LFTB. There are two types of LFTB: boneless lean beef trimmings (BLBT) and finely textured beef (FTB).
Does Sam's Club use pink slime? ›
Wal-Mart, Sam's Club won't use 'pink slime' meat.
Does Kroger still use pink slime? ›
Supermarket chains Kroger Co. and Stop & Shop said Thursday they will join the growing list of store chains that will no longer sell beef that includes an additive with the unappetizing moniker "pink slime."
What foods is pink slime used in? ›
“Pink slime” is a colloquial term for Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB). LFTB refers to smaller pieces of lean meat that are added to ground beef to produce a leaner product utilizing as much of meat from an animal as possible.
What stores use pink slime in meat? ›
There are big supermarkets that don't add pink slime. According to The Daily, Whole Foods and Costco have said they do not sell meat with pink slime. The stores that sell store-ground meat with pink slime, according to the Daily, are Target, Safeway, Walmart, and Albertsons.
What is the pink stuff coming out of my burger? ›
The debate over pink slime in chopped beef is hitting critical mass. The term, adopted by opponents of lean finely textured beef, describes the processed trimmings cleansed with ammonia and commonly mixed into ground meat. Federal regulators say it meets standards for food safety.
