ABC News Sued Again Over Pink Slime Reports

By CnAgri Print

A former worker at Beef Products Inc, the company at the forefront of a series of ABC News reports that said its meat was unsafe and called it 'pink slime,' is suing the network, TV chef Jamie Oliver a food blogger and 10 unnamed defendants, saying the reports and their wake cost hm his job. Deadline Hollywood reports that Bruce Smith was chief counsel and director of environmental health and safety at a South Dakota-based processing plant, and was one of 750 co-workers eventually let go after the reports said company's meat was not healthy and not even meat. Fast food chains soon began severing ties with the company, ultimately resulting in three plants being shuttered and layoffs at corporate headquarters.

Beef Products sued ABC News, anchor Diane Sawyer, reporters Jim Avila and David Kerley, and Zirnstein in September seeking $1.2 billion in damages, an action ABC News says is 'without merit.' Smith's civil suit filed Tuesday in Dakota County District Court in Nebraska is against ABC News, Sawyer, Avila, Oliver and others seeking $70,000. He claims ABC News made untrue statements about the meat product on air, that Oliver used his TV show and social media to target the company, and food blogger Bettina Siegel used her campaign to start a petition drive to get the meat removed from the National School Lunch Program. Siegel noted she believed she was protected by the First Amendment.

Smith said he's only suing for $70K to keep the case in state court.