'Pink Slime' Producer Runs a Full Page Ad in the WSJ

The "pink slime" saga continues: The beef product, a low-cost ammonia-treated filler aka "Lean Finely Trimmed Beef" that ends up in ground beef and hamburger patties, is having a tough time these days. After an online petition led to a media frenzy, multiple grocery stores have pledged to stop using it and schools are pulling it from cafeterias (it will be banned from public school lunches in New York City schools next Fall).

Beef Products, Inc., the self-professed "world's leading producer of lean beef processed from fresh beef trimmings," is not going to watch its business go down in social media-fueled flames, so they did what any normal company in the big trouble would do: They ran a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal (the full ad is below). There's an editorial by Nancy Donley, President, STOP Foodborne Illness talking about how ammonia hydride and food-grade antimicrobial sprays are "necessary."

Eldon Roth, CEO of BPI also gets some space. He chimes in about the "campaign of lies and deceit that have been waged" by the "entertainment media, tabloid journalists, so-called national news." He says the "misinformation campaign" may result in the "loss of over 3,000" jobs. He also says that the "lean beef" from his company has been in over 300 billion meals.

Beef Products, Inc.'s Full Page Ad

Even conservative-leaning Fox News is getting in the game, with the story "How ABC News smeared a stellar company with 'pink slime'" that accuses ABC of "demonizing" Beef Products, Inc. Writes Fox, "ABC is out to destroy a family owned business."

It might be too late, however. A spokesman for Cargill, the leading U.S. ground beef producer, told The Daily that "pink slime" is "pretty much over." And that "the industry produces 800 million pounds of finely textured beef every year." Pulling the additive entirely from the market would have other effects: "We'll likely have to raise an additional 1.5 million head of cattle to make up for the loss," he said.

· All Pink Slime Coverage on Eater [-E-]