Business & Tech

No 'Pink Slime' at Dacula Ingles, Publix Stores

Kroger stopped purchasing beef containing "pink slime" on March 22, but corporate officials say inventory remains.

Soon Dacula shoppers will no longer have to wonder if the ground beef they buy at the grocery store contains lean finely textured beef or “pink slime.”

“We have never carried it,” said Brian Bennett, meat department manager at the .

Publix ground beef specifications prohibit the addition of “pink slime” to the store’s ground beef.

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“We have never sacrificed quality for price,” Bennett explained.

Several customers asked about “pink slime” after the use of the product made national headlines, Bennett said. However, Publix customers have no need for concern, he added.

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“We grind all of our meat fresh daily,” Bennett said. After two days, any meat that has not been sold is discarded.

assistant meat manager George Perez said Ingles’ ground beef is also “pink slime” free.

“Our ground beef is fresh and has no additives,” he said.

Though Kroger has carried ground beef containing “pink slime,” the chain will no longer do so.

In a press release dated March 22, Kroger announced it will no longer purchase ground beef containing lean finely textured beef.

“Kroger listens to our customers carefully to provide the high quality products they want at the great prices they deserve. Our customers have expressed their concerns that the use of lean finely textured beef— while fully approved by the USDA for safety and quality—is something they do not want in their ground beef,” the release stated. “We highly value customer feedback, and the recent flood of news stories has diminished their confidence in the product. As a result, Kroger will no longer purchase ground beef containing lean finely textured beef.”

Though the company stopped purchasing beef containing “pink slime” on March 22, Glenn Jenkins, community affairs representative for Kroger, could not say how much beef containing the additive remains in the company’s inventory.

“Each store will have different amounts of that product,” he said.

With 215 Kroger stores in this region, Jenkins said he could not advise when the and will have worked through the existing inventory.

“Our commitment is, moving forward, we will no longer purchase ground beef with lean finely textured beef,” he added.

Do you shop at Kroger, Ingles or Publix? Tell us in the comments.


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