Pink Slime on Come Back Trail? Politicians Take Plant Tour to Ease Fears [SLIDESHOW]

The meat industry in the US is trying hard to regain the lost glory of the chemically treated meat scraps called Pink Slime.

Supporters of the US meat industry have fought back against what they call a smear campaign by consumer activists seeking a ban on pink slime.

Three state governers, Sam Brownback from Kansas, Rick Perry of Texas and the Terry Branstad from Iowa toured the meat producer, Beef Products' plant in South Sioux City, Nebraska to show their support for the company and to save thousands of jobs in the industry.

The pink slime controversy has hit the meat packers' margins to a two-decade low, according to an industry estimate.

The controversy over the ammonia treated meat scraps has resulted in unprecedented margin losses for the industry.

The loss to per head cattle was at $101 on Thursday, according to an estimate by the livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.com, which keeps track of the fluctuations in the meat industry.

Beef prices have fallen more than 7 percent since early March compared to a 3 per cent fall in cattle prices.

The controversy over pink slime had its best supporter in British chef Jamie Oliver when he showed the raw pink slime on his show to the American audience.

"Basically, we're taking a product that would be sold at the cheapest form for dogs and after this process we can give it to humans," the Daily Mail quoted Oliver as saying.
Take an inside look at a pink slime plant: