Beef Products Inc. founder Eldon Roth has issued a statement in the wake of the recent controversy over the company's boneless lean beef trimmings product, dubbed by some as “pink slime.” The statement reads:

“We agree, as do the nation's leading food safety authorities, with USDA's unequivocal statement that the BPI's Boneless Lean Beef Trimmings are safe, wholesome, and nutritious. Anyone that has seen BPI facilities and our processes understands why we have an unsurpassed food safety record.

“We also agree with USDA's reiteration that this is 100% beef, plain and simple. As such, our lean beef has the same nutritional value as all other types of lean trim used to make ground beef and is the same great source of protein, iron, zinc and B-vitamins while also being very low in fat.

“We are a proud supplier to the school lunch program because the AMS has set a standard of only approving suppliers who have demonstrated the highest degree of quality and safety in their beef. It is only because our lean beef is nutritious and has achieved consistently high food quality and safety reviews that it is permitted into the school lunch program.

“As parents and consumers continue to make important decisions about the food they and their children eat, we hope that they listen to credible sources outside media sensationalists and take note of the overwhelming support from the government and scientific community who have routinely testified that our lean beef trimmings are 100% beef and are produced, and tested in a way that makes this food very safe.

“The facts can be found at pinkslimeisamyth.com.”

Source: Beef Products Inc.