ABC will face South Dakota court over ‘pink slime’ comments
While the judge has yet to determine whether defamation occurred, he has decided to allow a majority of the claims against ABC News to proceed.
March 28, 2014 at 06:44 AM
3 minute read
The original version of this story was published on Law.com
Maybe “slime” isn't the most appetizing way to describe a food product, but it's certainly easier to stomach than a potential $1.2 billion lawsuit. ABC News may soon be eating both its words and that price tag though, as a South Dakota based judge has rebuffed the broadcaster's attempts to toss out a defamation lawsuit brought as a result of remarks it made about extruded meat products.
During a series of reports by ABC News in the spring of 2012, the signature product of Beef Products Inc. was repeatedly referred to as “pink slime.” According to BPI, the product, which is frequently used in fast food restaurants, is a finely ground and textured beef product. The company claims that repeated use of the term “pink slime” hurt its reputation by mischaracterizing an important offering as inedible.
The Department of Agriculture ruled that the product was safe for consumption, however many large retailers, including Wal-Mart, stopped selling items like hamburger patties that contained the product in the wake of the ABC reports.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Trending Stories
- 1The Law Firm Disrupted: For Big Law Names, Shorter is Sweeter
- 2Wine, Dine and Grind (Through the Weekend): Summer Associates Thirst For Experience in 'Real Matters'
- 3The 'Biden Effect' on Senior Attorneys: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
- 4BD Settles Thousands of Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
- 5First Lawsuit Filed Alleging Contraceptive Depo-Provera Caused Brain Tumor
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250