Beef Buzz News
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack Weighs in on the Safety of LFTB
Thu, 29 Mar 2012 05:40:22 CDT
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack held a joint news conference to discuss the fallout from recent news reports vilifying Lean Finely Textured Beef. The slang term that has caught the attention of the public is "pink Slime." This has scared many consumers who have demanded that supermarkets offer a product that is free of LFTB- and several major players have backed away from buying ground beef that includes LFTB as a part of its mix as a result.
The fallout has been particularly bad for BPI, the maker of LFTB, as it has suspended operations at three of its four plants. Branstad said 200 workers at the Waterloo, Iowa, plant are without jobs. Plants in Texas and Kansas are also affected. BPI has been making LFTB for 30 years.
"We cannot stand by and watch a company close its doors because people do not know the facts about BPI and the lean beef that it makes and that's why I've been so adamant about telling this story," Branstad said.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack echoed Branstad's concerns and said he would do everything he could to remind the public that LFTB is a good product.
"Let me reiterate without any equivocation something that we have said literally hundreds of times-hundreds of times in print media, hundreds of times in broadcast media, and on radio-this product is safe," Tom Vilsack said.
Branstead will be joined by the Governors from Texas and Kansas- the other two states that have BPI plants that have closed because of the hysteria- meeting up and touring the lone remaining BPI plant still open in Nebraska to "set the record straight." That tour is planned for Thursday. Governors Branstad, Brownback, Heineman, Perry and South Dakota Lieutenant Governor Matt Michels say lean finely textured beef is a safe product that's been consumed for years.
Not only has BPI been affected by the recent flap - but also grocery stores Hyvee, Super Valu, Safeway, Kroger and Walmart have all discontinued purchasing lean finely textured beef. Branstead told reporters on the media call on Wednesday that he had talked personally with the CEO of Hyvee Supermarkets (based in Iowa) and that they were reconsidering their decision and would make available ground beef with LFTB in their stores once again.
The technique developed by BPI actually recovers enough additional beef from the bone that it reduces the need for 1.5 million additional head of cattle each year. Market watchers say that beef prices could feel more upward pressure if this source of beef is not allowed to be used in making ground product.
Today's Beef Buzz features comments from the Wednesday news briefing held by Iowa Governor Terry Branstead and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Click here for a analysis of the problems caused by this media firestorm over LFTB- through the eyes of Trent Loos.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the listen bar below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
Ron Hays Beef Buzzes with Tom Vilsack and Terry Branstead
right-click to download mp3
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
Beef News
January Cattle on Feed Report Three Percent Under Year Ago- Derrell Peel Says Tighter Supplies Will Be Around for Awhile Mon, 23 Jan 2023 05:15:04 CST
Derrell Peel Talks Latest Cattle on Feed Report- Showing Fewer Cattle on Feed, Lighter Placements and Stronger Marketings. Mon, 26 Dec 2022 08:19:00 CST
Kara Lee with Certified Angus Beef Tells Cattlemen 'Cut the Bull' Fri, 23 Dec 2022 14:30:39 CST
Beef Checkoff Utilizes Digital Marketing Techniques to Interact with Consumers Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:02:51 CST
Beef Checkoff Research, Education, and Promotion Efforts Point Consumers to Beef Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:15:46 CST
OSU Economist Derrell Peel Expects US Beef Export Strength to Continue Into the New Year Tue, 20 Dec 2022 08:00:35 CST
NPPC's Michael Formica Feeling Positive About Supreme Courts Upcoming Proposition 12 Decision Mon, 05 Dec 2022 10:08:27 CST
NCBA Fights to Improve Marketing Options for Cattle Producers Fri, 02 Dec 2022 09:58:28 CST
Chinese Consumers Continue to Grow Appetite for U.S. Beef Thu, 01 Dec 2022 09:23:49 CST
Merck Creates Value for Producers and Consumers with Technology and Biopharmaceuticals Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:55:28 CST
NCBA’s Todd Wilkinson Ready to Fight Back Against Regulatory Overreach in the Cattle Industry Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:13:33 CST
NCBA and PLC Call ESA Listing Plan of Lesser Prairie Chicken Punitive for Cattle Producers in Southern Plains Wed, 23 Nov 2022 14:51:02 CST
November Cattle on Feed Report Confirms October Pattern of Lower Placements and Tighter Cattle Numbers in Feedlots Tue, 22 Nov 2022 05:07:02 CST
Turning the Corner- OSU's Derrell Peel Sees Tighter Cattle Inventories into 2023 in Latest Cattle on Feed Report Mon, 21 Nov 2022 04:36:33 CST
Turning the Corner- OSU's Derrell Peel Sees Tighter Cattle Inventories into 2023 in Latest Cattle on Feed Report Mon, 21 Nov 2022 04:27:40 CST
Midterm Elections to Set Stage for What Can Be Expected in 2023 Farm Bill Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:13:57 CST
USMEF's Dan Halstrom Remains Cautiously Optimistic about Strong Beef Demand Going Forward Thu, 03 Nov 2022 09:35:46 CDT
Economic Factors Create Hesitancy in Beef Plant Expansion Plans Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:03:34 CDT
NCBA's Mike Simone Says Consumer Interest in Fake Meat is on the Decline Tue, 01 Nov 2022 11:41:02 CDT
Beef Remains Valued Product for Consumers as it Allows Them to Stretch their Dollar Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:15:56 CDT
Hugh Aljoe Provides Methods to Begin and Maintain Good Land Stewardship Fri, 28 Oct 2022 09:30:13 CDT
Implement Soil Health Practices Now to Increase Forage Production when Rains Come Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:14:07 CDT
Third Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 Promotes the Beef Industry on a National Level Wed, 26 Oct 2022 15:32:23 CDT
Latest Cattle on Feed Report from USDA Implies Fewer Pounds of Beef Available in 2023 Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:17:53 CDT
OSU's Derrell Peel- Lower Placements and Smaller On Feed Number Highlight October Cattle on Feed Report Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:45:37 CDT
Beef Checkoff Research Continues to Share Beef Sustainability Story with Consumers Fri, 21 Oct 2022 09:23:36 CDT
Beef Checkoff Research Works to Ensure Consumers Beef is a Product They Can Trust Thu, 20 Oct 2022 13:44:44 CDT
Odds for Significant Wheat Pasture Going Lower Daily in the Southern Plains Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:35:46 CDT
NCBA Weighs in on California's Proposition 12 Tue, 18 Oct 2022 11:32:24 CDT
2022 Stockyards Steak Out Takes Oklahoma Beef to the Next Level Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:09:07 CDT
Holding Onto Your Cow Herd a Little Longer is Projected to Pay Off, says Randy Blach Fri, 14 Oct 2022 08:14:05 CDT
Randy Blach Confident in Better Cattle Market Conditions Down the Road Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:43:02 CDT
No Imports or Exports Would Result in a Smaller U.S. Beef Cattle Industry Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:11:15 CDT
Derrell Peel Explains Why International Trade of Beef is Valuable Tue, 11 Oct 2022 08:19:29 CDT
Animal Agriculture Hopeful for a Win as U.S. Supreme Court Looks at California's Proposition 12 Mon, 10 Oct 2022 09:26:17 CDT