US-based beef processor Cargill will begin labeling its ground beef products that contain finely textured beef in response to customers’ complaints of containing pink slime additive.
Starting early 2014, the company's label on shipping boxes will contain retail packages of fresh ground beef, while tubes of ground beef will be labeled by spring.
The labeling decision was made following a survey of over 3,000 consumers about their views on ground beef during the last 18 months.
Cargill Beef president John Keating said, "We've listened to the public, as well as our customers, and that is why today we are declaring our commitment to labeling Finely Textured Beef."
The company spokesman Michael Martin told the Wall Street Journal that following media furor in 2012 the production of finely textured beef declined by 80%; it is still continuing at about 50% of production capacity.
