Fresh & Easy Offers Slime-Free Beef Exchange

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market here said Monday it will have a "pink slime swap meat" Wednesday where customers can swap ground beef bought from other retailers for a package of the company's 80/20 ground beef.

"Fresh & Easy never has, and never will, use the ammonia-treated filler known as 'pink slime' in its ground beef," the company said.

"It is understandable that people would lose confidence in food retailers because of the use of pink slime," said Tim Mason, the chain's chief executive officer. "Fresh & Easy has never been about shortcuts or fillers — just high-quality fresh food that we produce ourselves, so we know it's the best."

Fresh & Easy said it grinds its own meat, using only fresh, never frozen, beef, with no artificial colors or flavors.