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Alton, Ia | Jim, we are very busy right now so I haven't read all the links about plants, etc., but I'll share what I know. Eldon Roth of BPI developed a process to take trimmings and separate the meat from the fat. They took $.10/lb scrap and turned it into $3/lb lean meat and beef tallow. They then signed contracts and built plants next door to major beef plants, conveyed the trimmings over and did the processing. Those are the plants shutting down, not the actual slaughter plants. No idea on employee numbers, no time to research. They were able to "save" millions of pounds of beef per year, and also provide a clean beef tallow, which is now a main ingredient for biodiesel plants. The "lean finely textured beef", which unfortunately is not as catchy as "pink slime", is beef. Not some beef/chemical mix, not beef radiated or soaked in chemicals for weeks, etc. From what I understand it's heated slightly to 105 F, and separated through a centrifuge. Since it's heated, not cooked, and cutting knives can spread contamination, they flash it with ammonium hydroxide to make it very safe. The LFTB is very low fat, and good tasting. It's roasts and steaks, just smaller.
It's a sad day when emotions and media put a product in jeopardy that:
1. Increases the amount of meat able to be used from each animal.
2. Reduces waste since the meat is better utilized.
3. Provides a clean fuel source for biodiesel production.
4. Provides hundreds of jobs.
5. Increases the amount of meat protein on the world market, increasing peoples standard of living and health.
Eldon Roth is a very stubborn person, very, very smart and driven, but stubborn. He probably assumed science was on his side and didn't comprehend today's world. But don't count him out.
Edited by Oliver1 3/28/2012 22:42
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PBI to suspend operations!
