LFTB Lawsuit Fights Misinformation

LFTB Lawsuit Fights Misinformation

This spring the beef industry experienced a firestorm of coverage of the Lean Finely Textured Beef smear campaign that many of the media participated in. After the break we learn more about Beef Products Incorporated’s lawsuit that was filed last Thursday, I’m KayDee Gilkey with Open Range after this.?

BPI which processes lean finely textured beef, filed a suit against ABC News, three ABC news reporters and others for knowingly and intentionally publishing disparaging statements regarding BPI and its product. BPI states that the disinformation campaign had adverse affects on their reputation as well as significant negative financial impact on their companies.
Craig Letch BPI’s Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance shares more.

Letch: “Our product is lean beef, 100 percent beef. It is safe and nutritious. It has been USDA-approved and inspected for over than 30 years, and it is 94 to 97 percent lean beef.”

According to Letch, the company shared facts and information that ABC News chose not use.

Letch: “The fact of the matter is that we provided ABC News with science-based factual information and they ignored it. We provide ABC News with third-parties to communicate with and they ignored their facts and ignored their statements.”

Not sure what is more disheartening, the tremendous financial havoc or the fact that many of the American Public actually believed this misinformation.

I’m KayDee Gilkey with Open Range on the Northwest Ag Information Network.