The company said its continued use of LFTB and the decision to label it resulted from surveys conducted with more than 3,000 consumers over the past 18 months. The intense media scrutiny made about LFTB originated in the late winter of 2012, and led to the closing of three plants owned by Beef Products Inc., the original processor of LFTB.
The lean beef trimmings in the product are processed by spinning beef in a cycle to detach the meat from fat. The beef is then treated with ammonium hydroxide or citric acid to kill pathogens. Cargill uses citric acid to treat the beef.
Reuters reported that Cargill’s new packaging labels will indicate which products contain “Finely Textured Beef” on items sold.
The USDA approved the label indications in spring 2012, as retailers wanted to indicate what product is used as a matter of transparency and disclosure. 
