Florida Senate - 2013                                    SM 1706
       
       
       
       By Senator Bullard
       
       
       
       
       39-01103-13                                           20131706__
    1                           Senate Memorial                         
    2         A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
    3         urging Congress and the United States Food and Drug
    4         Administration to ban the use of pink slime in meat
    5         products or require labels on meat products containing
    6         pink slime.
    7  
    8         WHEREAS, the meat industry is adding low-grade beef
    9  trimmings, known in the industry as “lean, finely textured beef”
   10  and now widely known as “pink slime,” to most ground beef as an
   11  inexpensive filler, and
   12         WHEREAS, the low-grade beef trimmings come from the parts
   13  of the cow most likely to harbor pathogens, which are often
   14  close to the hide and highly exposed to fecal matter, and
   15         WHEREAS, low-grade beef trimmings were once only used in
   16  dog food and cooking oil, and
   17         WHEREAS, low-grade beef trimmings are made by gathering
   18  waste trimmings, such as fatty beef byproducts and connective
   19  tissue, simmering them at low heat so the fat separates easily
   20  from the muscles, and spinning the trimmings using a centrifuge
   21  to complete the separation, and
   22         WHEREAS, the beef trimmings mixture is then sent through
   23  pipes where it is sprayed with ammonia gas to kill bacteria, and
   24         WHEREAS, the process is completed by packaging the filler
   25  into bricks, freezing the filler, and shipping it to grocery
   26  stores and meat packers, where it is added to most ground beef,
   27  and
   28         WHEREAS, several United States food manufacturers,
   29  including ConAgra Foods, Inc., Sara Lee Corporation, and Kraft
   30  Foods, Inc., publicly stated in 2012 that they do not use “pink
   31  slime” in their meat products, and
   32         WHEREAS, Costco Wholesale Corporation, Publix, Whole Foods
   33  Market, and H-E-B also announced in 2012 that they do not sell
   34  meat products containing the low-grade-ammonia-treated filler,
   35  and
   36         WHEREAS, Safeway, SUPERVALU, Kroger, and Food Lion
   37  announced that they will no longer carry meat products
   38  containing “pink slime” due to customer concerns, and
   39         WHEREAS, McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Burger King announced
   40  that their meat products will no longer contain “pink slime,”
   41  and
   42         WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture
   43  announced in March 2012 that, beginning in fall 2012, the United
   44  States National School Lunch Program will allow participating
   45  school districts to decide whether to purchase ground beef
   46  containing “pink slime,” and
   47         WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture
   48  announced in April 2012 that it agreed to allow voluntary
   49  labeling of meat products containing low-grade beef trimmings,
   50  and
   51         WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture has
   52  never required, and currently does not require, the labeling of
   53  meat products containing low-grade beef trimmings or “pink
   54  slime,” NOW, THEREFORE,
   55  
   56  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   57  
   58         That the Congress of the United States, the United States
   59  Department of Agriculture, and the United States Food and Drug
   60  Administration are urged to ban the use of low-grade beef
   61  trimmings, also known as “pink slime,” in meat products or
   62  require labels on meat products that clearly indicate that the
   63  product contains the ammonia-treated filler.
   64         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
   65  dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
   66  President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
   67  United States House of Representatives, and to each member of
   68  the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.