Editing Ground beef (section)

== Contents ==
In many countries, food laws define specific categories of ground beef and what they can contain. For example, in the [[United States]], beef fat may be added to hamburger but not to ground beef if the meat is ground and packaged at a [[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]]-inspected plant.<ref group=note>These rules only apply to meat being sold across state lines. In the U.S., much ground beef is produced at local grocery stores and is not sold across state lines. In these cases, the laws of the local state apply; state laws may have different requirements.</ref> In the U.S., a maximum of 30% fat by weight is allowed in either hamburger or ground beef. The allowable amount in France is 5 to 20% (15% being used by most food chains). In Germany, regular ground beef may contain up to 15% fat while the special "Tatar" for ''[[steak tartare]]'' may contain less than 5% fat. Both hamburger and ground beef can have added seasoning, [[phosphate]], extenders, or binders added, but no additional water is permitted. Ground beef is often marketed in a range of different fat contents to match the preferences of customers.

Ground beef is generally made from the less tender and less popular cuts of beef. Trimmings from tender cuts may also be used.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/ground-beef-and-food-safety/CT_Index |title=Ground Beef and Food Safety |website=Fsis.usda.gov |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]]|date=August 6, 2013 |access-date=November 11, 2015}}</ref>

In a study in the U.S. in 2008, eight brands of fast food hamburgers were evaluated for recognizable tissue types using [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] techniques that are commonly used in the evaluation of tissue's [[histological]] condition.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Prayson |first1=Brigid |last2=McMahon |first2=James T. |last3=Prayson |first3=Richard A. |url=http://www.hnossalmeron.com/hamburguesas/prayson_anndiagpath_dec2008.pdf |title=Fast food hamburgers: what are we really eating? |journal=Annals of Diagnostic Pathology |publisher=[[Elsevier]] |issue=6 |date=2008 |volume=12 |pages=406–409 |access-date=April 8, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210120155/http://www.hnossalmeron.com/hamburguesas/prayson_anndiagpath_dec2008.pdf|archive-date=December 10, 2013 |doi=10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2008.06.002|pmid=18995204 }}</ref> The study of the eight laboratory specimens found the content of the hamburgers included:
* Water: 37.7% to 62.4% (mean, 49%)
* Muscle: 2.1% to 14.8% (median, 12.1%)
* Skeletal tissue: "Bone and cartilage, observed in some brands, were not expected; their presence may be related to the use of mechanical separation in the processing of the meat from the animal. Small amounts of bone and cartilage may have been detached during the separation process."
* Connective tissue
* Blood vessels
* Peripheral nerve tissue. Brain tissue was not detected in any of the samples.
* [[Adipose tissue]]—"The amount of [[lipid]] observed was considerable and was seen in both adipose tissue and as lipid droplets. Lipid content on oil-red-O staining was graded as 1+ (moderate) in 6 burgers and 2+ (marked) in 2 burgers."
* Plant material: "was likely added as a filler to give bulk to the burger"

=== "Pink slime" ===
{{main|Pink slime}}
Ground beef in the United States may contain a meat-based product used as a food additive produced using technology known as [[advanced meat recovery]] systems or alternatively by using the slime system. Meat processing methods used by companies such as [[Beef Products, Inc.]] (BPI) and [[Cargill Meat Solutions]] produce lean, finely textured beef product, otherwise known as "pink slime," from fatty beef trimmings. This meat-based product is then treated with antimicrobial agents to remove [[salmonella]] and other [[pathogens]], and is included in a variety of ground beef products in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7120.1.pdf |title=Temperature Rules! - Cooking for Food Service |website=Fsis.usda.gov |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] |date=October 12, 2011 |access-date=April 25, 2016 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018071043/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7120.1.pdf |archive-date=October 18, 2011 }}</ref> From 2001, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the product for limited human consumption. In a 2009 article by ''[[The New York Times]]'', the safety of the beef processing method used by BPI was questioned.<ref name=SafetyQuestioned>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Moss |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html |title=Safety of Beef Processing Method Is Questioned |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 31, 2009 |access-date=November 11, 2015}}</ref> After the USDA's approval, this product became a component in ground beef used by [[McDonald's]], [[Burger King]] and many other [[Fast food|fast-food]] chains as well as [[grocery chain]]s in the U.S.<ref name=SafetyQuestioned/> 

In government and industry records in testing for the United States' [[school lunch program]], [[pathogen]]s such as ''[[E. coli]]'' and salmonella were found dozens of times in meat from BPI, which raises questions about safety of the meat product and the effectiveness of the antimicrobial method used in meat recovery system of the company. Between 2005 and 2009, ''E. coli'' was found three times and salmonella 48 times.<ref name=SafetyQuestioned/> BPI had a rate of 36 positives for salmonella per 1,000 tests, compared to a rate of nine positives per 1,000 tests for other suppliers for the program.<ref name=SafetyQuestioned/> However, the program continued to source from BPI because its price was substantially lower than ordinary meat trimmings, saving about $1m a year for the program.<ref name=SafetyQuestioned/> [[Cargill]], among the largest hamburger makers in the U.S., is a big buyer of the meat-based product from BPI for its patties, according to the Times.<ref name=SafetyQuestioned/> It suspended buying meat from two plants owned by BPI for several months in 2006 after excessive levels of salmonella were found.<ref name=SafetyQuestioned/>