Cargill Beef will begin labeling products that contain finely textured beef (FTB), a product sometimes referred to as “pink slime,” along with a similar product, lean finely textured beef made by Beef Products, Inc. The company plans to start using a label reading “Contains Finely Textured Beef” on its branded, U.S.-made ground beef before the 2014 grilling season. Cargill’s product, FTB, is composed of fine bits of beef taken from the trimmings of higher-quality cuts, which is then treated with citric acid to eliminate bacteria. A similar product, lean finely textured beef (LFTB), is made by Beef Products, Inc., and is treated with ammonia. This decision only affect’s Cargill’s products that contain FTB. Beef products containing LFTB will still not be labeled to indicate that they include the product. “Our research shows that consumers believe ground beef products containing Finely Textured Beef should be clearly labeled,” said Cargill Beef President John Keating in a statement Tuesday. “We’ve listened to the public, as well as our customers, and that is why today we are declaring our commitment to labeling Finely Textured Beef.” The company noted that, since 1993, it has been producing FTB, with the approval of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and believes that it plays an important role in affordably feeding Americans. USDA does not require beef products to be labeled if they contain less than 15 percent of lean finely textured beef but does allow voluntary labeling. LFTP and FTB came under fire in the spring of 2012 over consumer concerns that the product was implemented into the national school lunch program and was generally unsavory. Food Safety News published a timeline of the controversy during that time.