Ammonia: Facilitating or Debilitating?
Written by Paula Giordano, Lisa Murphy, Taylor Pilla & Madeline Yost
Abstract:
The FDA and the USDA deem it safe for beef manufacturing companies to use ammonia in their meat filler. In fact, 70% of meat filler contains ammonia. Millions of Americans consume beef daily. Through our research, we present the factual information regarding ammonia, as well as how and why ammonia is used. We define the qualifying levels of ammonia that the human body can ingest without causing health risks. Furthermore, we disclose the process manufacturers use to produce beef and the role ammonia plays in the process. Our goal for presenting this research paper is to reveal the facts and bring awareness to people.
Survey Says:
To show the lack of consumer awareness regarding the ammonia contained in beef filler, we surveyed one hundred people and asked two questions:
1.) Do you eat beef?
2.) Are you aware that beef manufacturing companies use ammonia in processing beef to eliminate bacteria like E.coli?
The survey results are depicted in the chart below. This survey solidifies our concern of public awareness.
The FDA and the USDA deem it safe for beef manufacturing companies to use ammonia in their meat filler. In fact, 70% of meat filler contains ammonia. Millions of Americans consume beef daily. Through our research, we present the factual information regarding ammonia, as well as how and why ammonia is used. We define the qualifying levels of ammonia that the human body can ingest without causing health risks. Furthermore, we disclose the process manufacturers use to produce beef and the role ammonia plays in the process. Our goal for presenting this research paper is to reveal the facts and bring awareness to people.
Survey Says:
To show the lack of consumer awareness regarding the ammonia contained in beef filler, we surveyed one hundred people and asked two questions:
1.) Do you eat beef?
2.) Are you aware that beef manufacturing companies use ammonia in processing beef to eliminate bacteria like E.coli?
The survey results are depicted in the chart below. This survey solidifies our concern of public awareness.
Introduction
Ammonia injection in food products is one of the best kept secrets of the modern food industry. Generally, the mention of the word ammonia leads people to think about household cleaning products. However, most people do not realize that not only is ammonia used in food products, but it is actually produced in the human body as well.
By researching ammonia we were able to define its chemical makeup, as well as its varying uses. We also discovered how ammonia is used in the growing and manufacturing of food. As part of the process, we explored a world wherein the FDA and USDA defend “appropriate levels” of ammonia in beef products. We also examined companies such as Beef Products Inc. as they make a profit by using an incomprehensible amount of left-over scraps from carcasses and injecting it with ammonia for sterilization purposes. This collaborative paper has afforded us the opportunity to share our newfound knowledge with you. After reading our findings, you can decide: Is ammonia facilitating or debilitating to our health?
The Facts:
According to theNew York State Health Department, ammonia is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the United States. Ammonia is generally found in household cleaning products, removing grease and grime. It is also know to produce a streak free shine on windows and glass.
Aside from being used in cleaning products, ammonia is also found in nature. It is produced from the bacterial processes that occur in soil. Also, plants, animals and animal waste produce ammonia when they decay. The ammonia fumes emitted from the soil are in the atmosphere, and thus in the air and in water.
Remarkably, ammonia is also produced by the human body and aids in the production of complex molecules. The Fertilizer Institute of Washington reports that “Ammonia is essential to the synthesis of DNA and proteins which are the building blocks of life.” Additionally, ammonia contributes to the nutritional needs of living organisms.
Scientific Information:
Ammonia is a colorless gas and has a strong aroma. It is water-soluble and thus when combined with water forms ammonium hydroxide which causes burns and irritation. Although ammonia is not flammable, it may explode when exposed to excessive amounts of heat. Thus, ammonia is a main ingredient in the making of explosives. In fact, according to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, the United States had an abundance of ammonium nitrate leftover from bombs made during World War II. Therefore, the government found various ways to utilize the surplus. One such use was discovered by chemist, Fritz Harber. Harber devised a synthetic fertilizer using ammonium nitrate (Pollan). To date, about 80% of ammonia produced in industry is used in agriculture as fertilizer.
In addition to being used as a fertilizer, Eric Schlosser, producer of the documentary Food Inc., reports that ammonia is used as a meat filler. In order to combat E.coli, salmonella, and other pathogens, meat manufacturers use ammonia in their meat filler. The FDA has approved the use of ammonia, deeming it safe to consume when the regulated quantity is used in meat production.
Since most people associate ammonia as being used in household cleaners, making explosives, and causing skin burns, hearing that ammonia is in their beef causes alarm. Thus,over time, controversy will arise. As a result, many experts, as well as consumers argue that while using ammonia eliminates E.coli, there are major health risks when ingested. Although the human body naturally produces ammonia, how much ammonia can be consumed without harming the body? In order to find out, we must go back to the beginning to see how much is too much.
Regulatory pH Levels:
Adding ammonia/ammonia hydroxide to meat filler originated in 1990 when Eldon Roth, founder and owner of Beef Products Inc., saw bacteria levels increasing in food. He spent most of the 1990’s attempting to find a solution to the problem. After looking at different processes, he settled on ammonia processing to help create a “risk-free burger.” Roth did two major things to ensure success. First, he “secured several patents for a couple of dozen pieces of equipment and methods used in processing beef.” Secondly, he offered a buy back guarantee. “If any of the most virulent E.coli was found in ground beef containing Beef Products meat, the company would buy back the tainted meat” (Goldie). The FDA approved Roth’s use of ammonia in beef when used as a processing agent. The FDA was so pleased with Roth’s findings, they exempted Beef Products Inc. from routine testing other companies still had to adhere to.
Although Beef Products Inc. did not have to undergo routine testing, other beef manufacturing companies found themselves under the scrutiny of the FDA. Beef manufacturers must maintain the qualifying levels of ammonia. In an article titled, “Ammonia in US Beef Food Safety Labeling and Poll #76,” author Gma Goldie states that when the meat processing plants add the ammonia/ammonium hydroxide to the meat filler, pH (alkalinity) levels must fall within a certain range of numbers in order for the meat filler to be considered acceptable for consumption without possible health repercussions. To make sure the pH levels in beef are safe, the processing plant must now engage in a balancing act to attain the regulated proper levels. The range is as follows:
Untreated meat has natural levels of around a 6 on the pH scale making the meat susceptible for E.coli growth. Therefore, beef manufacturing companies add ammonia to the meat filler to eliminate the potential E.coli and salmonella pathogens. The acceptable pH levels for ammonia added to beef are 8.0-9.49. The qualifying amount is a very fine line between a safe and unsafe level of 9.5 pH.
Beef manufacturing companies find themselves in a bind because while they are trying to rid the beef of pathogens, they often increase the pH level. The higher the pH level, the stronger the ammonia scent and the greater the health risks. Beef manufacturers are presented with the tedious task of injecting just the right amount of ammonia to rid the beef of pathogens without crossing over acceptable pH levels.
What happens when the pH levels are not right? One such example of this is when Beef Products Inc. was selling tainted meat. Beef Products Inc., in order to save money, decreased the amount of ammonia used in the meat they manufactured. Apparently some of the pH levels in Beef Products’ Inc. “risk-free” burgers were found to be so low (7.75) they were contaminated with E.coli and salmonella. Why would Beef Products Inc. worry anyway, since they were exempt from FDA testing.
Beef Products Inc. lack of accountability led the Federal School Lunch program to test the meat after they had received dozens of bad meat shipments. As a result, some school districts decided to temporarily ban meat coming from the Beef Products Inc. plant (Pols). These findings prompted Michael Moss of The New York Times to investigate and write an article titled, “Safety of Beef Processing Method is Questioned.” In the article, Moss sheds light on the ammonia problem and lifts the veil of secrecy, allowing consumers to finally “see” the truth about what goes on behind the scenes at meat processing plants, especially Beef Products Inc.. As reported in the New England Health Advisory, as result of the article, the findings were reported to the USDA and top officials said “they did not know what their peers in the lunch program had known for years” (Pols).
Pols goes on to say that one of the problems is our government agencies do not communicate with one another and share important information. This needs to be rectified because unaware consumers are not human guinea pigs, living life in the dark until hazardous pathogens cause detrimental effects to their health. And what risks are out there other than E.coli? To date there haven’t been any found. In the article, “Yuck’ Factor: Ammonia in Your Beef,” Norah Burton writes that according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, “there is no scientific evidence that ammonia consumption causes cancer, but eating habits and consumption affect the environment.” This leads us to wonder, just because there are no scientific findings today, does that mean there will not be any thirty years from now?
Ironically, according to the Food Insight website, the FDA declared the status of ammonium hydroxide to be Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) in 1974, “after extensive review of the scientific literature and rule making process”.In order to achieve such status as GRAS, said material will be evaluated and recognized by experts skilled in scientific instruction and experience, where they will determine the safety as being “safe” for the proposed use (Questions). The FDA never thought the innovation of GRAS which initially facilitated, would end up debilitating everyone.
Detrimental Health Risks:
What is involved in the unspoken process of injecting ammonia into beef? Is this newly reformed ammoniated beef safe? In an article titled, “Lessons on the Food System from the Ammonia-Hamburger In Fiasco,” Tom Philpott exposes the reality of the “pink slime” in beef products that most Americans eat weekly. The New York Times noted that Beef Products Inc., among many, is one of the culprits for adding meat filler that makes up 70% of the burgers we eat in the United States. Appallingly, Beef Products Inc. markets the most undesirable meat to local fast-food joints. The glistening product they market is the fatty scraps that are scraped off the slaughterhouse floor. These scrapings have been tested for infestations of E.coli and salmonella. To rid the meat of this and kill the pathogens, the food is sent through a process in which the meat is sterilized with large amounts of ammonia. The ammonia in these burgers is digested nation-wide and is prevalent in cheap school lunches. Beef Products Inc. makes a profit from selling ammonia laced “pink slime” to help “sterilize” the beef, but is it really cleaning our meat?
School lunch officials say no. The whole purpose of ammonia is to make scraps of “beef” contaminated with salmonella and E.coli, edible for human consumption. However, one of the major health risks that ammonia threatens consumers with is its failure to actually do its job. There have been many cases in which ammonia has been injected into beef, and pathogens such as E.coli and Listeria were still present. As was the case back in August when two 27,000 batches of meat were found to be contaminated with E.coli and salmonella. The meat was intended to be served for school lunches, but was caught before served to millions of students (Villarreal). This “processing agent,” formerly known as ammonia, is not recognized as an ingredient used in beef. The FDA has settled with the argument, and also at Beef Products’ Inc. request, that ammonia is part of the “process” of making meat, rather than an actual ingredient in meat, although the head-turning smell suggests the opposite. Oddly enough, if you can’t smell the pungent scent of ammonia in your dinner, there exists a likelihood that it is contaminated with E.coli, salmonella, or Listeria. As it stands, ammonia appears to be considered a safe processing agent in beef. With lack of substantial data reflecting specific detrimental health effects, it is up to the consumer to decide if eating beef treated with ammonia is safe.
Alternatives:
Regardless of the evidence that ammonia is considered a safe processing agent in beef, a safety concern still exists. The fact that ammonia is being used to treat scraps of meat retrieved from the slaughterhouse floor for human consumption is disturbing. Even more disturbing and potentially dangerous is the fact that the treatment process does not always work. How can we protect ourselves and our families from the possible dangers of ammonia treated beef products?
As a concerned consumer, knowledge is your first line of defense. You can strengthen the connection between you and your food with an awareness of the factory farm practices that cause the diseases that necessitate the need for the ammonia sterilization of beef. As illustrated in Food, Inc., the technologies that big corporations have imposed upon farmers are at the root of contaminated beef products. As a result of being fed corn which is unnatural but a huge moneymaker for the big companies selling seeds to struggling farmers, cows have developed a new strain of E.coli. The subsequent slaughtering process that takes place in huge factories of mass production then spreads the disease throughout the processed meat. The end result is an ammonia treated meat product that could possibly still contain pathogens.
Armed with the knowledge of the origins and processing methods of beef, concerned consumers can make choices that will send a message to the corporations who have forced struggling farmers into perpetuating unhealthy practices that endanger the earth and our health. The refusal to buy meat products from McDonald’s, Burger King, and retailers who purchase food from Cargrill, as well as all companies using meat filler produced by Beef Products, Inc., is one way to protect ourselves and send a healthy lifestyle message that will reverberate through the landscape of industrial agricultural.
As another line of defense, purchasing beef products that originate from pasture-based farms is a healthier alternative to buying factory farmed and processed, ammonia treated meat. Pasture-raised cattle are fed an all-natural diet of only grass and hay. According to Animal Welfare Approved, an organization whose primary goal is improving the living conditions of farm animals, meat from pasture-raised cattle is far less likely to harbor dangerous bacteria than meat from cattle raised on factory farm feedlots. This information, paired with our research that indicates no evidence of ammonia processing in pasture-based practices, leads us to believe that the diet of pasture-raised cattle negates the need for ammonia treatment.
EatWild, a website dedicated to supporting pasture-based farmers, provides consumers with lists of farmers, markets, stores, and restaurants featuring grass-fed products. This easy-to-use site provides an interactive map of the United States; consumers click on the section of the map that corresponds to their physical location to be provided with the names and addresses of retailers who buy and sell pasture-raised products.
The food choices of American consumers have greatly contributed to the technology-driven practices of our nation’s agricultural industry. By making food choices that support our health and the health of our land, American consumers can begin to create an awareness of the unnatural, unhealthy, and corporation-driven methods of food production that have led to new strains of diseases, new worries, and confusion for consumers. In a world of agricultural business that favors cash over consumers, change must begin with individuals. The resulting awareness may eventually lead to innovations that naturally eradicate the unhealthy byproducts of industrial agriculture and maybe even instigate changes that will mend our nation’s broken ecological system.
Conclusion:
What can be concluded from the above research is that ammonia is used as a sterilizing agent to cleanse beef of pathogens. The research further extends itself to disclose the appropriate pH levels of ammonia in beef, which are shown to be between 8.0 and 9.49. However, studies have lifted the veil of truth revealing that ammonia injection in beef is not an error-free process as it often times leaves behind residue of E.coli and salmonella. As a result of our research, we found that the only accounted for detriment that ammonia poses to humans is not completely cleansing the beef, leaving traces of pathogens behind. It is intended that our research be utilized in such a way that it provides consumers with a springboard for further investigation about the use of ammonia in beef. The aforementioned survey denotes an astoundingly low percentage of consumers (both beef and non-beef eaters) who had any inclination that their beef was treated with ammonia. Our research is intended to act as a foundation of scientific knowledge as it invites individuals to become active consumers in their quest for truth.
*The following video featuresMarcus Guiliano, owner of Aroma Thyme bistro in Ellenville, NY. His restaurant is “certified green” from the Green Restaurant Association. Guiliano is one of the few restaurant owners who advocates for an all-organic food philosophy, only providing pasture-raised, free- range beef at his restaurant. Here is his take on ammonia-injected beef.
Ammonia injection in food products is one of the best kept secrets of the modern food industry. Generally, the mention of the word ammonia leads people to think about household cleaning products. However, most people do not realize that not only is ammonia used in food products, but it is actually produced in the human body as well.
By researching ammonia we were able to define its chemical makeup, as well as its varying uses. We also discovered how ammonia is used in the growing and manufacturing of food. As part of the process, we explored a world wherein the FDA and USDA defend “appropriate levels” of ammonia in beef products. We also examined companies such as Beef Products Inc. as they make a profit by using an incomprehensible amount of left-over scraps from carcasses and injecting it with ammonia for sterilization purposes. This collaborative paper has afforded us the opportunity to share our newfound knowledge with you. After reading our findings, you can decide: Is ammonia facilitating or debilitating to our health?
The Facts:
According to theNew York State Health Department, ammonia is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the United States. Ammonia is generally found in household cleaning products, removing grease and grime. It is also know to produce a streak free shine on windows and glass.
Aside from being used in cleaning products, ammonia is also found in nature. It is produced from the bacterial processes that occur in soil. Also, plants, animals and animal waste produce ammonia when they decay. The ammonia fumes emitted from the soil are in the atmosphere, and thus in the air and in water.
Remarkably, ammonia is also produced by the human body and aids in the production of complex molecules. The Fertilizer Institute of Washington reports that “Ammonia is essential to the synthesis of DNA and proteins which are the building blocks of life.” Additionally, ammonia contributes to the nutritional needs of living organisms.
Scientific Information:
Ammonia is a colorless gas and has a strong aroma. It is water-soluble and thus when combined with water forms ammonium hydroxide which causes burns and irritation. Although ammonia is not flammable, it may explode when exposed to excessive amounts of heat. Thus, ammonia is a main ingredient in the making of explosives. In fact, according to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, the United States had an abundance of ammonium nitrate leftover from bombs made during World War II. Therefore, the government found various ways to utilize the surplus. One such use was discovered by chemist, Fritz Harber. Harber devised a synthetic fertilizer using ammonium nitrate (Pollan). To date, about 80% of ammonia produced in industry is used in agriculture as fertilizer.
In addition to being used as a fertilizer, Eric Schlosser, producer of the documentary Food Inc., reports that ammonia is used as a meat filler. In order to combat E.coli, salmonella, and other pathogens, meat manufacturers use ammonia in their meat filler. The FDA has approved the use of ammonia, deeming it safe to consume when the regulated quantity is used in meat production.
Since most people associate ammonia as being used in household cleaners, making explosives, and causing skin burns, hearing that ammonia is in their beef causes alarm. Thus,over time, controversy will arise. As a result, many experts, as well as consumers argue that while using ammonia eliminates E.coli, there are major health risks when ingested. Although the human body naturally produces ammonia, how much ammonia can be consumed without harming the body? In order to find out, we must go back to the beginning to see how much is too much.
Regulatory pH Levels:
Adding ammonia/ammonia hydroxide to meat filler originated in 1990 when Eldon Roth, founder and owner of Beef Products Inc., saw bacteria levels increasing in food. He spent most of the 1990’s attempting to find a solution to the problem. After looking at different processes, he settled on ammonia processing to help create a “risk-free burger.” Roth did two major things to ensure success. First, he “secured several patents for a couple of dozen pieces of equipment and methods used in processing beef.” Secondly, he offered a buy back guarantee. “If any of the most virulent E.coli was found in ground beef containing Beef Products meat, the company would buy back the tainted meat” (Goldie). The FDA approved Roth’s use of ammonia in beef when used as a processing agent. The FDA was so pleased with Roth’s findings, they exempted Beef Products Inc. from routine testing other companies still had to adhere to.
Although Beef Products Inc. did not have to undergo routine testing, other beef manufacturing companies found themselves under the scrutiny of the FDA. Beef manufacturers must maintain the qualifying levels of ammonia. In an article titled, “Ammonia in US Beef Food Safety Labeling and Poll #76,” author Gma Goldie states that when the meat processing plants add the ammonia/ammonium hydroxide to the meat filler, pH (alkalinity) levels must fall within a certain range of numbers in order for the meat filler to be considered acceptable for consumption without possible health repercussions. To make sure the pH levels in beef are safe, the processing plant must now engage in a balancing act to attain the regulated proper levels. The range is as follows:
- 9.5 and higher = Distinct ammonia smell, which is not palatable to the consumer
- 7.9 and lower = Presents higher risks of E.coli
Untreated meat has natural levels of around a 6 on the pH scale making the meat susceptible for E.coli growth. Therefore, beef manufacturing companies add ammonia to the meat filler to eliminate the potential E.coli and salmonella pathogens. The acceptable pH levels for ammonia added to beef are 8.0-9.49. The qualifying amount is a very fine line between a safe and unsafe level of 9.5 pH.
Beef manufacturing companies find themselves in a bind because while they are trying to rid the beef of pathogens, they often increase the pH level. The higher the pH level, the stronger the ammonia scent and the greater the health risks. Beef manufacturers are presented with the tedious task of injecting just the right amount of ammonia to rid the beef of pathogens without crossing over acceptable pH levels.
What happens when the pH levels are not right? One such example of this is when Beef Products Inc. was selling tainted meat. Beef Products Inc., in order to save money, decreased the amount of ammonia used in the meat they manufactured. Apparently some of the pH levels in Beef Products’ Inc. “risk-free” burgers were found to be so low (7.75) they were contaminated with E.coli and salmonella. Why would Beef Products Inc. worry anyway, since they were exempt from FDA testing.
Beef Products Inc. lack of accountability led the Federal School Lunch program to test the meat after they had received dozens of bad meat shipments. As a result, some school districts decided to temporarily ban meat coming from the Beef Products Inc. plant (Pols). These findings prompted Michael Moss of The New York Times to investigate and write an article titled, “Safety of Beef Processing Method is Questioned.” In the article, Moss sheds light on the ammonia problem and lifts the veil of secrecy, allowing consumers to finally “see” the truth about what goes on behind the scenes at meat processing plants, especially Beef Products Inc.. As reported in the New England Health Advisory, as result of the article, the findings were reported to the USDA and top officials said “they did not know what their peers in the lunch program had known for years” (Pols).
Pols goes on to say that one of the problems is our government agencies do not communicate with one another and share important information. This needs to be rectified because unaware consumers are not human guinea pigs, living life in the dark until hazardous pathogens cause detrimental effects to their health. And what risks are out there other than E.coli? To date there haven’t been any found. In the article, “Yuck’ Factor: Ammonia in Your Beef,” Norah Burton writes that according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, “there is no scientific evidence that ammonia consumption causes cancer, but eating habits and consumption affect the environment.” This leads us to wonder, just because there are no scientific findings today, does that mean there will not be any thirty years from now?
Ironically, according to the Food Insight website, the FDA declared the status of ammonium hydroxide to be Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) in 1974, “after extensive review of the scientific literature and rule making process”.In order to achieve such status as GRAS, said material will be evaluated and recognized by experts skilled in scientific instruction and experience, where they will determine the safety as being “safe” for the proposed use (Questions). The FDA never thought the innovation of GRAS which initially facilitated, would end up debilitating everyone.
Detrimental Health Risks:
What is involved in the unspoken process of injecting ammonia into beef? Is this newly reformed ammoniated beef safe? In an article titled, “Lessons on the Food System from the Ammonia-Hamburger In Fiasco,” Tom Philpott exposes the reality of the “pink slime” in beef products that most Americans eat weekly. The New York Times noted that Beef Products Inc., among many, is one of the culprits for adding meat filler that makes up 70% of the burgers we eat in the United States. Appallingly, Beef Products Inc. markets the most undesirable meat to local fast-food joints. The glistening product they market is the fatty scraps that are scraped off the slaughterhouse floor. These scrapings have been tested for infestations of E.coli and salmonella. To rid the meat of this and kill the pathogens, the food is sent through a process in which the meat is sterilized with large amounts of ammonia. The ammonia in these burgers is digested nation-wide and is prevalent in cheap school lunches. Beef Products Inc. makes a profit from selling ammonia laced “pink slime” to help “sterilize” the beef, but is it really cleaning our meat?
School lunch officials say no. The whole purpose of ammonia is to make scraps of “beef” contaminated with salmonella and E.coli, edible for human consumption. However, one of the major health risks that ammonia threatens consumers with is its failure to actually do its job. There have been many cases in which ammonia has been injected into beef, and pathogens such as E.coli and Listeria were still present. As was the case back in August when two 27,000 batches of meat were found to be contaminated with E.coli and salmonella. The meat was intended to be served for school lunches, but was caught before served to millions of students (Villarreal). This “processing agent,” formerly known as ammonia, is not recognized as an ingredient used in beef. The FDA has settled with the argument, and also at Beef Products’ Inc. request, that ammonia is part of the “process” of making meat, rather than an actual ingredient in meat, although the head-turning smell suggests the opposite. Oddly enough, if you can’t smell the pungent scent of ammonia in your dinner, there exists a likelihood that it is contaminated with E.coli, salmonella, or Listeria. As it stands, ammonia appears to be considered a safe processing agent in beef. With lack of substantial data reflecting specific detrimental health effects, it is up to the consumer to decide if eating beef treated with ammonia is safe.
Alternatives:
Regardless of the evidence that ammonia is considered a safe processing agent in beef, a safety concern still exists. The fact that ammonia is being used to treat scraps of meat retrieved from the slaughterhouse floor for human consumption is disturbing. Even more disturbing and potentially dangerous is the fact that the treatment process does not always work. How can we protect ourselves and our families from the possible dangers of ammonia treated beef products?
As a concerned consumer, knowledge is your first line of defense. You can strengthen the connection between you and your food with an awareness of the factory farm practices that cause the diseases that necessitate the need for the ammonia sterilization of beef. As illustrated in Food, Inc., the technologies that big corporations have imposed upon farmers are at the root of contaminated beef products. As a result of being fed corn which is unnatural but a huge moneymaker for the big companies selling seeds to struggling farmers, cows have developed a new strain of E.coli. The subsequent slaughtering process that takes place in huge factories of mass production then spreads the disease throughout the processed meat. The end result is an ammonia treated meat product that could possibly still contain pathogens.
Armed with the knowledge of the origins and processing methods of beef, concerned consumers can make choices that will send a message to the corporations who have forced struggling farmers into perpetuating unhealthy practices that endanger the earth and our health. The refusal to buy meat products from McDonald’s, Burger King, and retailers who purchase food from Cargrill, as well as all companies using meat filler produced by Beef Products, Inc., is one way to protect ourselves and send a healthy lifestyle message that will reverberate through the landscape of industrial agricultural.
As another line of defense, purchasing beef products that originate from pasture-based farms is a healthier alternative to buying factory farmed and processed, ammonia treated meat. Pasture-raised cattle are fed an all-natural diet of only grass and hay. According to Animal Welfare Approved, an organization whose primary goal is improving the living conditions of farm animals, meat from pasture-raised cattle is far less likely to harbor dangerous bacteria than meat from cattle raised on factory farm feedlots. This information, paired with our research that indicates no evidence of ammonia processing in pasture-based practices, leads us to believe that the diet of pasture-raised cattle negates the need for ammonia treatment.
EatWild, a website dedicated to supporting pasture-based farmers, provides consumers with lists of farmers, markets, stores, and restaurants featuring grass-fed products. This easy-to-use site provides an interactive map of the United States; consumers click on the section of the map that corresponds to their physical location to be provided with the names and addresses of retailers who buy and sell pasture-raised products.
The food choices of American consumers have greatly contributed to the technology-driven practices of our nation’s agricultural industry. By making food choices that support our health and the health of our land, American consumers can begin to create an awareness of the unnatural, unhealthy, and corporation-driven methods of food production that have led to new strains of diseases, new worries, and confusion for consumers. In a world of agricultural business that favors cash over consumers, change must begin with individuals. The resulting awareness may eventually lead to innovations that naturally eradicate the unhealthy byproducts of industrial agriculture and maybe even instigate changes that will mend our nation’s broken ecological system.
Conclusion:
What can be concluded from the above research is that ammonia is used as a sterilizing agent to cleanse beef of pathogens. The research further extends itself to disclose the appropriate pH levels of ammonia in beef, which are shown to be between 8.0 and 9.49. However, studies have lifted the veil of truth revealing that ammonia injection in beef is not an error-free process as it often times leaves behind residue of E.coli and salmonella. As a result of our research, we found that the only accounted for detriment that ammonia poses to humans is not completely cleansing the beef, leaving traces of pathogens behind. It is intended that our research be utilized in such a way that it provides consumers with a springboard for further investigation about the use of ammonia in beef. The aforementioned survey denotes an astoundingly low percentage of consumers (both beef and non-beef eaters) who had any inclination that their beef was treated with ammonia. Our research is intended to act as a foundation of scientific knowledge as it invites individuals to become active consumers in their quest for truth.
*The following video featuresMarcus Guiliano, owner of Aroma Thyme bistro in Ellenville, NY. His restaurant is “certified green” from the Green Restaurant Association. Guiliano is one of the few restaurant owners who advocates for an all-organic food philosophy, only providing pasture-raised, free- range beef at his restaurant. Here is his take on ammonia-injected beef.