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
Large Numbers of Heavy Weight Feeders Placed in April Worry Tom Leffler Mon, 20 May 2013 04:19:56 CDT
NCBA Counsel Hopes Congress Permanently Solves SPCC Rule Threat Facing Farmers Wed, 15 May 2013 16:25:48 CDT
USDA Rushing to Get Revised COOL Rule in Place in Advance of May23rd WTO Deadline Wed, 15 May 2013 03:58:44 CDT
Peel Calls Pent Up Demand in Beef Business the 'Urge to Grill' Wed, 08 May 2013 17:02:16 CDT
Peel Calls Pent Up Demand in Beef Business the 'Urge to Grill' Wed, 08 May 2013 17:00:35 CDT
USDA Rush to Implement Country of Origin Labeling Ahead of WTO Deadline Could Prove Burdensome to Beef Producers Tue, 07 May 2013 16:23:18 CDT
USDA Rush to Implement Country of Origin Labeling Ahead of WTO Deadline Could Prove Burdensome to Beef Producers Tue, 07 May 2013 16:20:57 CDT
NCBA Helps Convince Senate Ag Committee Chair Stabenow to Pull Cage Agreement From Her Farm Bill Mark Tue, 07 May 2013 03:55:49 CDT
Beef Checkoff Launches Accredited Web-Based BOLD Study Training Program for Physicians Fri, 03 May 2013 16:10:08 CDT
Profitability May be Just Around the Corner for Feedlots, LMIC Director Says Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:25:33 CDT
What a Difference a Year Makes: Economist Derrell Peel Watches Beef Demand Carefully Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:28:07 CDT
Food Safety Takes a Concerted Effort from Producers All the Way to Consumers Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:19:22 CDT
Biotechnology and Cattle- Helping Feed the World Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:15:22 CDT
Biotechnology Offers Society Tremendous Benefits As Used in Animal Agriculture Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:12:51 CDT
April 15th is the Deadline to Submit Recipes for the National Beef Cook-Off Contest Sat, 13 Apr 2013 07:15:18 CDT
Ross Wilson Urges Cattle Producers to File Comments NOW on Mandatory COOL Rule Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:08:05 CDT
Beef Checkoff Funded Study Keeps Tabs on Beef Used in Foodservice Sat, 06 Apr 2013 21:24:34 CDT
Recent Corn Stocks Report has Big Impact on Cattle Prices, Derrell Peel Says Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:22:19 CDT
OSU Ag Economist Jayson Lusk Talks About Opportunities and the 'Food Police' Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:26:16 CDT
Fewer Cattle Mean Feedlot Operators Must Tighten Their Belts Further, Ross Wilson Says Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:22:03 CDT
NCBA President Scott George Says Increasing Beef Checkoff a 'Real Challenge' Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:19:58 CDT
Bullish U.S. Cattle on Feed Report Shows 14 Percent Drop in Placements Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:13:02 CDT
OSU Extension Beef Economist Derrell Peel Weighs in on M-COOL Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:14:31 CDT
Year-End Cattle Numbers Show Slippage In Net Beef Exports Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:41:15 CDT
NCBA Concerned that Proposed Modification to COOL Law Will Increase Cost to Customers Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:19:58 CDT
Beef Sustainability Study Offers Inside Look Into the Many Positives Brought to the Table by Beef Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:00:20 CDT
David Anderson Asks- Who is Gonna Rebuild Those Mama Cow Herds? Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:29:08 CST
Building Demand for Beef Still Important When Supplies are Tight, Beef Board CEO Says Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:30:17 CST
Animal Disease Traceability Rule Moves Forward With March Implementation Date Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:24:13 CST
Strong Veterinarian-Client Relationship Important in Judicious Use of Antibiotics, NCBA Vet Says Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:11:48 CST
Cattle on Feed Numbers Six Percent Under February 1, 2012 Mon, 25 Feb 2013 07:15:24 CST
NCBA Brings New Congressional Members Up to Speed on Beef Issues Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:16:41 CST
Lack of Continued Funding for FMD and MAP Programs Unnerving to Producers, International Trading Partners, Seng Says Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:08:48 CST
Animal Disease Traceback Finally Getting Off the Ground Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:04:20 CST
Impact of Increased Beef Exports to Japan Will be Huge, USMEF Chief Says Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:37:25 CST
