ABC News Sued Over “Pink Slime” Defamation

Sep 13, 2012

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

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.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.