This is a more accurate story regarding the lean beef technology

1300 Pages·2013·18.28 MB·English

From: (b) (6) - FSIS
To: (b) (6) - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS
Subject: Emailing: Will BPI"s Plant Closures Affect America"s Ground Beef.htm
Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 11:07:09 AM
Attachments: Will BPI"s Plant Closures Affect America"s Ground Beef.htm
This is a more accurate story regarding the lean beef technology and all the hoopla
surrounding it.
Dr. (b) (6) is a well respected food microbiologist and knows the regulated industry and FSIS
well.
This will undoubtedly impact 18226 as they were using the “ finely textured beef” in their
formula.
From: (b) (6) - FSIS
To: (b) (6) - FSIS
Subject: Emailing: Yummy! Ammonia-Treated Pink Slime Now in Most U.S. Ground Beef Environment AlterNet.htm
Date: Sunday, January 15, 2012 6:57:07 PM
Attachments: Yummy! Ammonia-Treated Pink Slime Now in Most U.S. Ground Beef Environment AlterNet.htm

Hi (b) (6)
Where you aware of this when all of this was going? I’m embarrassed to say I was not.
(b) (6) Investigator
Compliance and Investigations Division
Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement, and Review
Food Safety and Inspection Service
United states Department of Agriculture
Office: (b) (6)
Fax: [phone]
Cell: (b) (6)
(b) (6) @fsis.usda.gov
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: “This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA
solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized
interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law
and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in
error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.”
From: Taylor, Kimberly A - APHIS
To: (b) (6) - FSIS
Subject: FAVOR
Date: Friday, March 16, 2012 1:52:15 PM
Could you please send me any language you’ve developed addressing the pink slime issue? One of
our folks in particular is being inundated, and we thought it made more sense just to answer using
the language you’ve developed (rather than forwarding to you). Thanks so much, (b) (6)

Kim

Kim Taylor
Assistant Director
LPA-Executive Communications
APHIS-USDA
2B-02C
Unit 49, 4700 River Road
Riverdale, Maryland 20737
**Please note new phone # : [phone]**
From: Meat and Poultry Hotline
To: Van, Diane - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS; Waggoner, Jason - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS; (b) (6) -
FSIS
Subject: February 2012 web mail report
Date: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 4:31:17 PM
HI everyone.
For the month of February 2012 there were 216 inquiries to the MPHotline web mail box.
The top topics were:
1. FSIS inspection issues: 40
2. Foodservice, retail issues and complaints 26
3. Safe storage (freezing, refrigerating, shelf stable): 25
4. Labeling issues, including food product dating 18
5. Safe food handling, including the 2 hour rule and other mishaps: 14
6. Lego League: 3
7. Humane slaughter 1
8. Biotechnology/cloning 2
9. Pink slime: 2
Thanks,
(b) (6)
(b) (6) M.S.
Technical Information Specialist
Food Safety Education Staff
Food Safety and Inspection Service
phone: (b) (6)
fax: (b) (6)
(b) (6) fsis.usda.gov
From: (b) (6) - FSIS
To: Blake, Carol - FSIS; (b) (6) @gmail.com
Subject: FINAL draft of your text
Date: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 6:55:29 PM
Attachments: Strategic Goal 3-CB Presentation to MC and OFS 3-21 FINAL DRAFT.docx

(b
(b) (6)
Issues Analyst

Executive Correspondence and Issues Management Staff
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Rm 1166-S
Washington, DC 20250

Desk: (b) (6)
E-mail: (b) (6) fsis.usda.gov
www.fsis.usda.gov

Be Food Safe:  CLEAN: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often SEPARATE: Separate Raw Meats from Other Foods
COOK: Cook To The Right Temperature CHILL: Refrigerate Food Promptly
From: Derrickson, Nichele - FSIS
To: Blake, Carol - FSIS; Mabry, Brian - FSIS; DiNapoli, Greg - FSIS; Fillpot, Dirk - FSIS; Gaffney, Neil - FSIS;
McIntire, Richard - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS; Cochran, Catherine - FSIS
Cc: (b) (6) - FSIS
Subject: FOIA Report, week ending 3/30/2012 (7204513)
Date: Thursday, March 29, 2012 3:08:41 PM
Attachments: Significant FOIA Report ending March 30, 2012.docx

Nichele Derrickson,
Congressional and Public Affairs
Food Safety and Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Room 1175 - South Building
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]
From: (b) (6) - FSIS
To: Cardwell, Rene - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS
Cc: Canavan, Jeff - FSIS
Subject: Following up to your email to FSIS "Ask Karen" tool March 15, 2012
Date: Thursday, March 29, 2012 1:14:04 PM
Re: Mr. Hellmer’s e-mail.

Spoke with Jeff Canavan about this and am looping him in case he wishes to expand on this.

“Fresh” can be used to describe ammoniated beef. The ammonia has momentary affect and
no functional or technical effects in the finished meat or poultry product. It is an
antimicrobial intervention, but it is not an added substance.

Rene, we will follow up with a letter to Mr. Hellmer on this (7196210). Thank you, again,
(b) (6) for bringing this forward.

(b) (6)
Issues Analyst
USDA/Food Safety and Inspection Service
Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education
Executive Correspondence & Issues Management Staff
1400 Independence Avenue, SW. Room 1166 Washington D.C. 20250
● ●
(b) (6) (W) ● [phone] (F) ● (b) (6) (C)
e-mail: (b) (6) fsis.usda.gov

Be Food Safe. CLEAN: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often SEPARATE: Separate Raw Meats from Other Foods
COOK: Cook To The Right Temperature CHILL: Refrigerate Food Promptly

From: Cardwell, Rene - FSIS
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 11:41 AM
To: (b) (6) - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS
Subject: Re: Response to your email to FSIS "Ask Karen" tool March 15, 2012

Thanks (b) (6)
Theresa, please take a look at this.
Thanks.
Rene' Cardwell
Deputy Director, ECIMS, Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Room 1163-S
Washington, D.C. 20250
[phone]- Office
[phone]- BB
[phone]- Fax

From: (b) (6) - FSIS
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:39 AM
To: (b) (6) - FSIS; Cardwell, Rene - FSIS; (b) (6) - FSIS
Subject: FW: Response to your email to FSIS "Ask Karen" tool March 15, 2012

To All,

There are occasions when correspondent will reply back even when I say not to reply to this
mailbox. I normally just ignore their reply backs after I read them but I thought that this might be
something that you might want to look into. Thanks

From: Bruce A. Hellmer, P.E. [mailto:(b) (6) hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 11:26 AM
To: (b) (6) - FSIS
Subject: RE: Response to your email to FSIS "Ask Karen" tool March 15, 2012

Thank you for the information. However, the letter from Daniel L. Engeljohn, Ph.D. dated March
29, 2012 is in conflicts with the policy he referenced.

Engeljohn wrote:
FSIS policy would not prohibit the use of the claim “fresh” on ground beef in which lean
finely textured beef is used as an ingredient.

From USDA Food Standards and Labeling policy book:
FRESH,” “NOT FROZEN” AND SIMILAR TERMS WHEN LABELING MEAT AND POULTRY
PRODUCTS:
The word —fresh“ may not be used to describe:
...
7. Any product treated with an antimicrobial substance or irradiated.
…

I suggest that “Pink Slime” fumigated with poisonous ammonia gas to kill antimicrobials should be
considered a “product treated with an antimicrobial substance”.

I request a reply addressing this apparent conflict.

Bruce A. Hellmer
610 NE Swann Circle
Lee's Summit, MO. 64086
[phone]
(b) (6) hotmail.com
From: (b) (6) - FSIS [mailto:(b) (6) fsis.usda.gov]
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 9:28 AM
To: (b) (6) hotmail.com
Subject: Response to your email to FSIS "Ask Karen" tool March 15, 2012

****PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MAILBOX****

Dear Sir or Madam:

Attached is the response to your email sent to FSIS “Ask Karen” tool on March 15, 2012, regarding
the labeling of fresh ground beef. I hope that the response provided is very helpful to you. Thanks

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended
recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the
information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal
penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and
delete the email immediately.
From: Robert Hess
To: Robert Hess
Bcc: (b) (6) - FSIS
Subject: FOLLOW-UP: McDonald’s confirms that it’s no longer using ‘pink slime’ chemical in hamburgers | The Sideshow
Date: Thursday, February 02, 2012 12:42:09 PM
Michael Moss, the Pulitzer prize winning Journalist with the New York times did a full
blown investigation on this "Pink Slime" or "Soylant Pink" as many called it. My good
friend and food Safety Consultant Carl Custer, a well known and renowned food
microbiologist, contributed a great deal of information to Mr. Moss during this
investigation.

I also stand corrected in that I said Millions of pounds of this Pink Slime are produced
yearly....More than 7 Million pounds a week are produced.

Here is the NEW YORK TIMES article that was published on December 31, 2009:

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/michael moss/index.html?
inline=nyt-per
OR, you can read it below.