It was gross enough for fast food restaurants to ban, but apparently our government wants so-called pink slime to be a staple in your kids' lunches - Jane Velez-Mitchell

So last night I settled in with my evening popcorn to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and instead of a food revolution I was privy to a revelation - well at least to me. He did a lengthy piece on "Pink Slime" which I had never heard of. What is pink slime? It's the bits and pieces that fall on the floor of the butcher's cutting room.

What does (or did) the butcher used to do with those pieces? They used to sell them to the pet food companies to make dog food and other animal foods. What do they with them now? They sell them to companies that spin them down into a sort of slime, add ammonia, then grind it into hamburger which they package and sell to the fast food restaurants, and to the schools. To the schools??!!

I have been trying to eat organic for a while now and have lately been leaning toward a meatless (at least red) existence, and if this piece of information wasn't the kicker I don't know what is. The USDA, in all their infinite wisdom, has said that is it perfectly fine to cleanse the beef with ammonia, after all it kills the e-coli, and even the mad cow disease. Oh that's just perfect! Anyone for a burger?

In December 2009 the New York Times ran an indepth article on this practice.

The jist of this episode of the Food Revolution was that they wouldn't allow Jamie into the LA Unified School District to check out what food they are serving kids in the LAUSD. Well no wonder! I assume that since there is a next episode he probably got in eventually, but even so, I can't imagine that it's okay with any of us that our kids are eating this concoction that I wouldn't even want to feed to my animals.

I think I'll have pasta for lunch.

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