With a nickname like "pink slime," it's got to be bad, right? Not so, say the U.S. Department of Agriculture and meat producers.

But is it? How did simple (natural meat) fillers for ground beef get such a bad reputation anyway? Why do some meat packers use it and not others? Is it really slimy? Is it dangerous?

First, the product: boneless, lean beef trimmings - remnants of butchered cows not otherwise used, added to ground beef as "filler." These parts are simmered at low heat to separate the fat from muscle. Then they're spun in a centrifuge and minced to a fine texture to become "lean, finely textured beef," or LFTB.

Because pathogens (e.g., E. Coli and salmonella) are more likely found in such parts, LFTB is treated with ammonium hydroxide (gas) as it goes through a pencil-thin tube. Finally it's frozen and shipped to meat packers to mix with regular beef. Ammonium hydroxide is considered safe by the USDA and is also found in gelatin, pudding, cheese, and baked goods.

With the Internet, you always have to be careful about reliability. One of the popular images of "pink slime" is actually ground chicken, not beef. To me, the beef doesn't look slimy, even if I'd rather not eat it. And as long as we're picking on chicken, the ground-with-fillers variety has been called "white slime."

We didn't always have LFTB in ground beef; it used to be used mostly for dog food and cooking oil. The use in ground beef is about 20 years old and reduces the costs of production per pound by about three cents. The USDA allows up to 15 percent LFTB in a pound of beef, including that used in school lunch programs. Of the beef the USDA purchases directly, about 6.5 percent is LFTB.

Still, not all ground beef has the stuff. Some grocery stores ground their own beef without adding fillers. Super 1 and Pilgrims were quoted as such in Tuesday's Press, among other retailers.

OK, so if it's safe, why all the fuss? Dr. Gerald Zirnstein, a former USDA microbiologist and inspector, coined the term "pink slime" in a memo after touring BPI's meat plant in South Dakota. BPI is one of the U.S. largest producers and where LFTB was invented. Zirnstein said LFTB can be dangerous if the ammonia treatments are not done properly. He also said that using these fillers decreases the protein quality of the meat; pure is better.

When ABC News broke a story March 7 about an allegedly concealed USDA report that 70 percent of their beef has the stuff, that content is more than they claim and that they plan to buy 7 million pounds more in the coming year, the alarm rang. The Washington Post reported in June 2008 that the percentage of LFTB in inspected ground beef patties is often closer to 25 percent than its official 15. A 2009 New York Times article questioned the safety of ground beef, but retracted an incorrect allegation in a later editorial that a recall had occurred.

Another interesting tidbit from ABC News concerned former undersecretary of agriculture Joann Smith, who approved the LFTB practice. When Smith stepped down from the USDA in 1993, BPI's principal supplier appointed her to its board of directors.

Whether the stuff is or isn't good, public perception is affecting the industry. McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell announced in 2011 they'll stop using BPI products. Last year BPI announced voluntary new testing for six additional strains of E. Coli.

Fish never looked so good.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network considering vegetarianism. On the other hand, a nice steak every so often does satisfy the carnivorous instincts. Email sholehjo@hotmail.com