A nationwide salmonella outbreak is always cause for concern, but one that occurred in the U.S. in 2012 created particular worry for anyone with an appetite for sushi.
The outbreak, which spread to 28 states and the District of Columbia, was linked to raw yellowfin tuna distributed by a California importer. In April 2012, the FDA announced that the company Moon Marine USA Corporation was voluntarily recalling more than 50,000 pounds of one of its products: frozen raw fish called "tuna scrape," or meat scraped from around the fishes' backbones, that had been used in spicy tuna rolls and served around the country. This outbreak was likely many Americans' introduction to the idea of tuna off-cuts, which look "like a ground product," according to the recall notice (via ).
Combined with the fairly unappealing label "tuna scrape," these descriptions earned the product comparisons with another questionable protein: the ammonia-treated beef byproduct known as "pink slime," which is sometimes added as cheap filler to fast food burgers. But the comparison might not totally hold up. Known by another name, nakaochi, the meat from around the ribs and back of a tuna is a prized part of the fish — it's sold as a delicacy in Japan, and it's not intrinsically more dangerous than other kinds or cuts of raw fish.
So, it's complicated. We're here to break it down for you. Is tuna scrape the same as pink slime? Tuna scrape is not particularly similar to .
Pink slime is technically known as lean.
