By Maggie Hui, posted Feb 12, 2012 at 11:54 AM, 3,056 views,

Food Safety Standard for China McDonald is Higher Than U.S. ?

McDonald’s has finally announced to stop using ‘pink slime’ after the British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver revealed their beef patties contain ammonia hydroxide which is harmful to the human body. But McDonald in China has clarified that their burgers are really made of 100 percent pure beef and does not use any of the “pink slime” that the U.S. used in its burgers. Do you believe the hamburgers in China have higher quality then the U.S. and it is safer to eat ?

“Pink slime” refers to the meat scraps from the less popular parts of a cow, such as the head, foot and tail. These kind of meat contains a larger amount of bacteria and are usually used for making dog food. It would give it to humans after sterilize with some chemical called ammonium hydroxide — an ingredient which used in fertilizers and household cleaners. The ammonia treated meat is harmful to our human body and McDonald has changed its burger recipe after the “slime” has brought to the public’s attention.

McDonald’s China has stated that they only use 100 percent pure beef which surpasses national standard and never used “pink slime” in their burgers. The overseas branch said they have always abided with the government’s food safety requirements and has established a strict monitoring system on its supplier to ensure the safety of its food. However, the claim has been disputed among the Chinese public, because when McDonald’s entered the Chinese market, it promised that everything used in China would share the same standards as those used in the US. The alleged double standard is now raising doubts. The fast-food chain might face legal risks if the raw materials of its products are not the same as it has stated.

The PR representative from McDonald’s China avoid to answer when they were being asked by local press why the McDonald’s beef are made of scrap meat, and the “pink slime” in U.S. can be called as ‘pure beef’. China has struggled with food safety for years. The food safety scandals in China have badly damaged consumer confidence. There is not much reputation for China to produce safe and reliable food products after industrial chemical had been added to dairy products in 2008. McDonald’s China is not using ‘pink slime’, who will actually believe it ?

SOURCE: Beijing Times (Chinese translated), msnbc