DAKOTA DUNES, SD -
It's been less than a week since Beef Products, Incorporated launched a lawsuit against ABC News for more than one billion dollars.
"Thirty years to build a business and 30 days to take it down," said Nick Roth, Director of Engineering for Beef Products, Inc.
Nick, son of BPI's founder, says the media coverage during those 30 days is what nearly destroyed his family's company, leading to a lawsuit against ABC News.
"We provided the news outlet, ABC in this instance, with facts. We provided them with third parties and they chose not to listen to those people," said Craig Letch, Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance for BPI. "They chose to report their own story, which in this instance was false."
The lawsuit could take years to pan out, and after closing three plants and eliminating more than 700 jobs, Roth says the path ahead is all about getting the facts out, letting the critics and consumers know the truth about lean, finely textured beef.
"(We must) Continue being transparent, continue engaging those people who are open to it and open to listen and continue to spread the message," said Roth.
Roth and Letch say "LFTB," a 94% - 97% lean ground beef, was borne of consumer demand.
"You look back at when I was a kid, you couldn't buy lean ground beef in the grocery store," said Letch. "You couldn't buy 93%, 96% lean ground beef."
They believe that demand will bring "LFTB" back into school lunches and onto supermarket shelves.
"If this product isn't reintroduced, if the facts aren't put out there and people accept them, then it's going to be a big hit to the consumer and ground beef prices will continue to rise," said Roth.
