Over the weekend — while hanging out with my boyfriend's dad's side of the family (who are a world apart from my family) — I got offered a Slim Jim.
A Slim Jim? Really? It's been years since I even thought about those processed spicy sticks. Sure, I had them when I was little, but I wouldn't touch them now that I'm an adult. I definitely won't let my kids have them, either.
Why? Because here is what's really in a Slim Jim …
Similar to hot dogs, Slim Jims are made from the bottom three classifications of beef (there are eight grades total). That means beef that comes from old steers, partial vertebrae, and tough tissue.
If that doesn't stop you, there's also mechanically separated chicken, water, salt, corn syrup, dextrose, flavorings, spice, paprika, hydrolyzed corn gluten, soy and wheat gluten proteins, sodium nitrite, and lactic acid starter culture.
Oh, and that mechanically separated chicken we mentioned? It's a paste-like batter made up of bones with attached meat that is put through a sieve using high pressure.
Elch! It gives me chills just thinking about it!
Now that you know what's in a Slim Jim, would you eat one?
Image via Elizabeth/Table4Five/Flickr
