The billion dollar food chain, McDonald’s, has announced that it will discontinue the use of the controversial meat product in its burgers known as boneless lean beef trimmings. The trimmings, which consist of meat left over after all the choice cuts of beef are taken, are banned for human consumption in the U.K., and are instead used as chicken and dog food. The trimmings are legal for human consumption in the U.S., however, they are treated with ammonium hydroxide to kill off bacteria such as E.coli, which then makes it safe for human consumption.
McDonald’s gave a statement saying, “At McDonald’s, the quality and safety of the food we serve our customers is a top priority. At the beginning of 2011, we made a decision to discontinue the use of ammonia-treated beef in our hamburgers. This product has been out of our supply chain since August of last year. This decision was a result of our efforts to align our global standards for how we source beef around the world.” Taco Bell and Burger King have followed.
