A closer look at beef processing

Amid concerns over recent E.coli outbreaks, the New York Times continues to investigate the safety of using ammonia to kill salmonella and E.coli bacteria as part of beef processing.

At the center of the story is Beef Products, Inc., the South Dakota company that introduced the ammonia treatment for its beef trimmings, which are used primarily as filler in hamburger patties. The Times tries to sort through how the meat is classified and distributed in an effort to understand how processed beef is monitored by the government’s school lunch program and food safety inspectors.