BPI Lawsuit Against ABC

ABC Launched A Disinformation Campaign

On March 7, 2012, ABC began a month-long disinformation campaign against BPI and LFTB. Nearly 200 false and misleading defamatory statements were made. The campaign was unparalleled in terms of its duration, its scope and number of false statements, and number of people reached through ABCs broadcasts and online reports. ABC knowingly and intentionally caused consumers to believe that LFTB was a pink slime, not beef at all and unsafe for consumption. ABC knowingly and intentionally caused consumers to believe that LFTB was being hidden in ground beef as part of an economic fraud by BPI.
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ABCs Defamation By False Statements

LFTB is pink slime.

LFTB is not beef or meat.

LFTB is a filler for ground beef or meat. LFTB is a substitute for ground beef.

LFTB is an economic fraud or food fraud.

LFTB is produced from waste, scraps, and low-grade trimmings. LFTB was once only used in dog food and cooking oil. LFTB is more like gelatin than beef. LFTB protein comes mostly from connective tissue.

All of these statements are factually false.

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ABCs Defamation By False Implications

LFTB is not safe for public consumption.

LFTB is not nutritious.

LFTB is not beef or meat. BPI engaged in improper conduct in getting USDA approval for LFTB.

Fresh 100% Lean Finely Textured Beef Before Freezing

Frozen 100% Lean Finely Textured Beef Produced By BPI As Shipped To Their Customers

Fresh Ground Beef With LFTB Produced By BPIs Customers

ABC Intentionally Interfered With BPIs Business Relationships

ABC targeted ground beef consumers and created a grassroots movement, in order to reduce demand for BPIs product. ABC created a blacklist of BPIs grocery store chain customers and forced those customers to stop selling ground beef with BPIs LFTB product. ABC had the impact it wantedlarge numbers of grocery store chains decided to stop selling ground beef with LFTB.

ABC Ignored The Facts About LFTB

It is 100% beef. It is a nutritious product that lowers the fat content of ground beef. It is a safe product.

There has not been a single reported food-borne illness caused by LFTB.

It is a cost-effective product.

It lowers the cost of lean ground beef purchased by consumers.

It is an environmentally friendly product that decreases the number of cattle that need to be slaughtered each year for lean ground beef. It is a product that received USDA approval after it went through the same rigorous and comprehensive review as other food products.

The USDAs approval was based on the merits of LFTB as a safe product that could be included in ground beef.

LFTB is a good product made by a good company.

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Summary Of Injury And Harm To BPI Caused By ABC

30 years of hard work and success by BPI was decimated by 30 days of ABCs misconduct. LFTB sales declined approximately 80%. More than 700 BPI employees lost their jobs. BPI had to close 3 of its 4 facilities.

The result:

$400 million in lost profits Treble damages under South Dakota food disparagement statute Punitive damages
BPI will be asking a jury for over one billion dollars, plus punitive damages, for the injury and harm caused by ABC.

BPI Lawsuit Against ABC