Ammonium Hydroxide in Beef
Some people say that ammonium hydroxide in meat may not be too appetizing. But neither is e-coli or salmonella. There have been recent questions asking why meat processors use ammonium chloride in processing…for example with beef. The answer is food safety. They spray or inject solutions of ammonium hydroxide as a way to kill bugs or, as they are called in the industry, pathogens! But according to the New York Times a very limited amount of E. coli and salmonella were found in some testing for the federal school lunch program on ammonia-treated beef from Beef Products Inc.
Department of Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Idaho: “Ammonium hydroxide is basically ammonia in water. It’s used at very low concentrations.” Concentrations high enough to kill pathogens but don’t affect taste in any way. Beef Products Inc. spokesman Richard Jochum said Beef Products Inc. is intent on keeping food safety a top priority and they have had no reports of sickness in connection with their products. Both McDonald's Corporation and Burger King Holdings along with agricultural conglomerate Cargill Inc. all use Beef Products Inc. meat in their hamburgers. All said they'll keep using the meat and that their products are safe.
