Update: ‘Pink Slime’ Defamation Suit Against ABC

Mar 28, 2014

A South Dakota judged denied to throw out a defamation lawsuit against ABC News for its coverage of the meat product known as lean–finely-textured-beef, which has been dubbed by some as “pink slime.”

The company Beef Products Inc. sued the network in 2012 for $1.2 billion in damages. They are claiming that ABC’s coverage prompted the closure of three of its plants by misleading consumers that the beef was unsafe by referring to it as “pink slime.”

ABC’s defense team argue that the network did make mention that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified this product as safe to eat. This was allegedly said in each of its broadcasts on the topic.

The judge ruled that the television network is not protected against liability because it mentioned that the product was safe to eat.

The ruling was a preliminary motion to dismiss. The next step is starting discovery and ultimately presenting the case to a jury.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.