Ammonia Also Used In Chocolate, Cheese

The backlash against "pink slime," or "finely textured lean beef," has been so great that AFA Foods has filed for bankruptcy, while Beef Products, Inc. shut down three of their factories.

But it seems like the ammonia scare won't just stop at beef. Reuters reports that ammonia is also used to make other products, such as cheese and chocolate.

Sources say, however, that this isn't a cause for alarm. The Food and Drug Administration ruled ammonium hydroxide to be "generally recognized as safe" in 1974. Since then, the ingredient has been deemed acceptable under "good manufacturing practices" for soft drinks, soups, and canned vegetables.

Kraft Foods has admitted to using ammonoium compounds in some of their products, while Sara Lee Corp., Hormel Foods, Kellogg, and ConAgra claim all their products are ammonium-free. General Mills declined to share their production processes.