Lean fine textured beef (LFTB), a.k.a. "pink slime"

Question: Will B-P be opting out of the "pink slime" ground beef for the cafeteria?

Answer: Broadalbin-Perth doesn't actually have the option to "opt out" of using lean fine textured beef (LFTB), which is sometimes referred to as "pink slime." Like other public school districts nationwide, B-P relies on government commodity foods, which are distributed through the Office of General Services (OGS) in New York State.

We recently received some information from OGS about LFTB:

• There is no way for us or OGS to tell if LFTB is in the beef that we use. It is not listed separately on the ingredient list because LFTB is, in fact, beef.
• The OGS will order product free of LFTB beginning during the 2012-13 school year. However, the OGS must deplete its current inventory first, so it could be the middle of the school year before districts begin receiving LFTB-free beef.
• "The USDA stands firmly behind the safety of this product."

- answered by Stephen Tomlinson, Superintendent of Schools