DAKOTA DUNES, SD -
More than 650 people will be out of work by the end of the month, including 200 from the Hawkeye State.
BPI couldn't fully bounce back from recent attacks on its Lean finely textured beef product. That's why it's decided to close three plants in Iowa, Texas, and Kansas, on May 25.
The decision came after a failed attempt to rebuild those markets. Supporters of BPI commented on Facebook pages like "Friends of BPI" and "People for the Truth" about the closures.
Tom Cother said, "What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog."
Bonnie Cother writes, "A sad day indeed, our thoughts are with those affected," and Phyllis Green said, "I filled out a complaint form with the FCC. I Don't know what good it'll do, but I felt compelled to do so, especially after today's multiple plant closure announcements."
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Senator Chuck Grassley also released statements Monday regarding the closures.
Governor Branstad says "This is a sad day for the state of Iowa. The fact that a false, misleading smear campaign can destroy a company's reputation overnight should disturb us all. My office will never stop fighting for every single job in this state, and I continue to hope that as consumers learn about this safe, healthy and lean food, they will understand what a great product lean, finely textured beef truly is."
And Senator Grassley sympathizes with the people who will lose their jobs.
"BPI worked very hard to save these jobs, but there just wasn't enough time to educate the public about the company's process that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and used in hundreds of other foods, besides beef, that's been consumed safely for more than 20 years," said Sen. Grassley.
Although they plan on closing those three other plants, they do plan on keeping the south Sioux city Nebraska plant open for business, and they say they hope to expand production in the future.
Since it suspended operations at those three plants in late March , BPI had been paying full salaries to its more than 650 employees who will now be out of work.
