Despite last spring’s consumer backlash against Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) –a reaction generated by misleading media reports—officials of Beef Products Inc. (BPI) say they are not making changes to their production process.
Much of the negative media attention focused on BPI’s use of ammonium hydroxide to kill bacteria on the beef trimmings. And while there are other options available—such as citric acid—BPI’s director of food safety and quality assurance, Craig Letch, says there are sticking with the ammonia treatment.
Letch tells Brownfield it’s a question of food safety.
“We know, unequivocally, that utilization of ammonia is the most effective,” Letch says. “Could we use something else? Yes. Do we think it will be as effective? We don’t.
“Our main focus is and has always been to not only look out for BPI but to look out for the consumer—and with everything that ships out of our doors, we’re going to do everything we can do to ensure it’s as safe as we can possibly make it.”
BPI corporate administrator Rich Jochum points out that ammonia and ammonium hydroxide are naturally occurring in all proteins—and are used in the processing of many other food products...
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http://brownfieldagnews.com/2012/09/17/bpi-not-changing-lftb-production-process/
Source: Argentine Beef Packers S.A.
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