Ahold stores to stop carrying 'pink slime'

QUINCY, Mass. — Ahold's 756 stores in the Northeast will no longer carry a beef filler product that has attracted significant controversy among consumers lately.

Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover and Giant-Carlisle simultaneously announced that they would no longer purchase ground beef containing finely textured beef, which often is derided as "pink slime" due to its pink color and viscous texture.

The Department of Agriculture contended that finely textured beef — which consists of scrap meat treated with ammonium hydroxide to kill bacteria — is safe for human consumption, but the chemical treatments have raised concerns about possible safety risks. In response, several school districts and McDonald's have indicated that they will stop purchasing it.