No "Pink Slime" in New Brunswick School Lunches

New Brunswick Public School lunches do not contain the chemical-treated beef product widely known as "Pink slime" according to schools superintendent Richard Kaplan.

Lean Finely Texturized Beef has caused an uproar nationwide after it was publicized in a series of reports by ABC news.

The meat filler is treated with ammonium-hydroxide to kill E. Coli, Salmonella and other pathogens, then mixed with ground beef. It's believed to be in approximately 70 percent of American lean ground beef.

Kaplan said he has checked with the district's  food service director and confirmed that the food additive is not present in lunches served to students.

The district operates its own food service program, Kaplan said. He did not have the name of the conveyer that brings the food to the schools at press time Wednesday.

Officially, the product is classified as safe for human consumption by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) but its presence in lunches has aroused the concern of millions. The USDA does not require products containing 'pink slime' to have any specific label noting its presence.

The manufacturer, Beef Products Inc., has since closed three processing plants, the Associated Press reported.