Misconceptions about beef

To the Editor:

There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about lean finely textured beef, or what the media is calling "pink slime," but the most important thing to remember is that lean finely textured beef is just that -- beef.

When steaks and roasts are cut, it creates the "trim" that becomes ground beef.

The companies supplying lean finely textured beef use a process to remove the lean beef from the fat in the trim, which is then used in ground beef as a lean source of protein.

Because it is 100 percent beef, LFTB is not singled out as a separate ingredient on ground beef packages.

LFTB products are sustainable because they recover lean meat that would otherwise be wasted.

The beef industry is proud to produce beef products that maximize as much meat as possible from the cattle we raise.

It's the right thing to do, and it ensures our products remain affordable while helping to feed America and the world.

If this beef is not used in fresh ground beef products, approximately 1.5 million additional head of cattle would need to be harvested annually to make up the difference.

This is not a good use of natural resources, or modern technology, in a world where red meat consumption is rising and available supply is declining.

Joe Moore,

Indiana Beef Council