Hamburgers using beef courtesy of Beef Products Inc. may come with pickles, onions, ketchup and a side of ammonia.
The company, which supplies beef to the federal school lunch program and fast food chains like McDonald’s, has been using an ammonia treatment to reduce levels of E. coli and salmonella in its processed beef.
Chad Carr, assistant professor in the UF department of animal sciences, said while the use of these trimmings has raised concern, the practice is safe.
He described ammonia as an anti-microbial that can help alleviate the problems of E. coli and salmonella contamination in beef.
“I have all the confidence in the world that the beef industry is trying its best to have as safe a product as possible,” Carr said. “The number one priority is safety.”
Beef Products Inc. reduced the levels of ammonia to combat concern, but this can diminish the treatment’s ability to fight pathogens.
John Gonzalez, a postdoctoral associate in the UF department of animal sciences who previously worked in the meat industry, said there is no definite way to eliminate E. coli and salmonella as a potential hazard.
Gonzalez said that while the meat industry’s methods may not always work perfectly, he expects to see more changes in the future to develop safer methods of fighting pathogens in beef.
“One of the things I never realized until I got into the industry was that you get inspected left and right, not only by the government but by your customers,” Gonzalez said.
