Supervalu to cease selling products made with 'pink slime'

The parent company of Cub Foods said Wednesday it plans to stop selling packaged meat that includes finely textured beef — an ingredient some are calling "pink slime."

Officials at the Eden Prairie-based Supervalu said the ccompany will no longer carry the product at its 1,100 full-service grocery stores across the country, including Cub Foods in Minnesota.

The ingredient — dubbed "pink slime" by its critics — is made from beef trimmings treated with ammonia as disinfectant.

The change is the result of customer demand and not food safety, said Supervalu spokesman Mike Siemienas.

"The ground beef products we currently sell in our stores are safe and adhere to all USDA quality and safety standards," Siemienas said. "This was a decision that Supervalu made based on ongoing customer concerns over these products."

For now, people who want to avoid finely textured beef should buy fresh, rather than packaged, ground beef, Siemienas said.

Supervalu's discount chain Save-a-Lot will continue to carry products with finely textured beef. However, Siemienas said Save-a-Lot is reviewing the matter.

"Any customers who have questions about our fresh ground beef products should talk to their Cub Foods butcher," he said.

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