After much debate in the media, and after a full-length undercover story, the infamous “pink slime” will live on in your child’s school cafeteria.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a statement that explained its decision which allows schools to choose whether or not to include the pink slime in their menus.

School officials will have a choose between 100 percent real non-lean beef or the leaner “pink slime” beef, which was given the disreputable name by a former USDA employee, Gerald Zirnstein.

According to a statement to Health Pop, the USDA, which only provides roughly twenty percent of school meals, and which assures parents that pink slime meets the high standards of the USDA, claims — even though it’s impossible to exactly to know how much pink slime will be in your child’s Sloppy Joe — that no more than 15 percent of each serving would consist of pink slime.

“USDA only purchases products for the school lunch program that are safe, nutritious and affordable – including all products containing Lean Finely Textured Beef. However, due to customer demand, the department will be adjusting procurement specifications for the next school year so schools can have additional options in procuring ground beef products. USDA will provide schools with a choice to order product either with or without Lean Finely Textured Beef,” the USDA said in a statement.

In related news, a few months ago, McDonald’s cut its ties with pink slime after being pressured by public opinion. Taco Bell, Burger King, and many other fast food chains that once used the manufactured meat have also stopped using it as well.

The USDA this year is contracted to buy 111.5 million pounds of ground beef for the National School Lunch Program. About 7 million pounds of that is from Beef Products Inc., though the pink product in question never accounts for more than 15 percent of a single serving of ground beef.

Beef Product Inc. stresses that its product is 100 percent lean beef and is approved by a series of industry experts. The company’s new website, pinkslimeisamyth.com, rebuts some common criticisms of the product (“Myth 4: Boneless lean beef trimmings are produced from inedible meat”).

It’s been a bad month for red meat, as it has been Joseph Kony’ed throughout the media. Remember, everything in moderation!

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