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ABC News Sued Over “Pink Slime” Defamation

Beef Products Inc. Sues ABC News Over “Pink Slime” Coverage

By , Farms.com

ABC News is being sued by Beef Products Inc. for defamation over its coverage of a meat product often referred to “pink slime” also known in the beef industry as lean finely textured beef. It’s used as a food additive in ground beef and beef-based processed meat. The South Dakota based company is seeking $1.2 billion in damages for 200 defamatory statements about the product, saying that the network misled consumers into believing that the product was unhealthy and unsafe.

The news network isn’t only under fire but also several individuals, including ABC news anchor Diane Sawyer and a microbiologist who coined the term “pink slime.” The following is an excerpt from the company’s official announcement about the lawsuit. ABC’s lawyer – Jeffrey Schneider said that the “lawsuit is without merit” and that they will “contest it vigorously".

Following the coverage, the company had to close three out of its four U.S. plants, lying off over 650 people. The company is claiming that they lost 80 percent of their business in less than a month. The product is supported by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and he has publically said that the government wouldn’t allow the product for human consumption if it wasn’t safe and was approved back in 2004.


Trending Video

Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim



In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.