The recalls that have hit the headlines in 2012
March - USDA reaffirms lean finely textured beef safety
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reaffirmed the safety of lean finely textured beef (LFTB) or 'pink slime' as it become better known.
More than 200,000 people signed an online petition to ban the use of LFTB in school-destined meat products.
The product is made my processing beef trimmings from larger cuts of meat until the lean meat is seperated from the fat.
"The process used to produce LFTB is safe and has been used for a very long time. And adding LFTB to ground beef does not make that ground beef any less safe to consume," said head of USDA’s public health agency Dr. Elisabeth Hagen at the time.
AFA Foods filed for bankruptcy citing consumer pressure on the subject as a key reason.
