ABC’s Avila Slimes Mother Whose Son Died from E Coli
ABC News senior correspondent Jim Avila has a new target for his “pink slime” crusade – a mother whose 6-year-old son died from E coli. Avila, whose coverage has targeted Beef Products, Inc., went after the company’s supporters at an Iowa press conference.
At the same time, one beef maker has had to file for bankruptcy protection as a result of the media assault. “AFA Foods, a company that produces beef products, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today and announced it’s selling some assets because of a decrease in demand attributed to the recent media coverage of ‘pink slime.’” The company employs 850 people, adding to the 650 already furloughed thanks to the news media.
The Sioux City Journal reported on a beef industry press conference where Avila targeted both Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Nancy Donley, founder of STOP Foodborne Illness, because of funding from BPI.
Sioux City Journal reporter Dan Dreeszen captured the exchange among Avila, Donley and the head of BPI. Avila asked about funding for her organization that might have come from BPI:
"You have no class. Do you know that?" BPI co-founder Eldon Roth, seated in the audience, said to Avila before Donley replied that her group had not concealed the contributions.
Donley said she is "very grateful" for the support from BPI and other companies.
"BPI has never asked for a single thing, ever. We will never be compromised in our position of protecting consumers from pathogens in the food supply. My goal is to put my organization out of business so there are no foodborne victims any more.
"I will also tell you this," she told Avila. "No price will be put on my son's head."
Avila had earlier challenged Branstad asking “if his support had ‘anything to do’ with $150,000 in campaign contributions he has received from BPI founders,” according to the paper. “Absolutely not. I will always fight for my constituents, and fight for what's right,” Branstad told the press conference.
The press conference was in response to weeks of hammering by the news media over complaints about a healthy, FDA-approved product. In about two weeks, ABC did 10 stories on the issue, mentioning the activist term “pink slime” 52 times.
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Comments
Beef Prices
Submitted by Fredy on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 4:01pm.
As prices for all beef products go up, look for the media to place the blame on the non-use of 'pink slime' and the drought in the southwest.
What will be missing from these reports of MAJOR price inflation is the effect of the Obama economic policies.
Wouldn't you rather the price
Submitted by balboa on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 6:22pm.
Wouldn't you rather the price went up than it be filled with that stuff?
Chemically Treated
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 7:05pm.
Any meat that is chemically treated should be prominently labeled accordingly. I would rather not purchase ground beef that has been treated with ammonia. Some people, because of the price, may be more then happy to buy it. But besides the ammonia treatment, do you object to any of the other ingredients in this product? Have you eaten a hamburger at a restaurant or fast food place in the last ten years?
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Ammonia
Submitted by CobraMan on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 12:06pm.
I'm not too concerned about treating food will small amounts of ammonia. I use ammonia as a household cleaner and I know that it quickly evaporates. Just heating the meat a few degrees will cause any ammonia reside to quickly evaporate on that meat. Cooking the meat thoroughly, like we're supposed to do anyways, will drive out even the faintest traces of ammonia.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Not of great concern, either...
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 12:42pm.
I'm not too concerned about ammonia, either, CobraMan. I won't stop getting an occasional burger when I eat out, but when I shop at the grocery store, I'm usually getting ground beef that is leaner and ground in the store where the dreaded "pink slime" isn't being added.
When I heard about "pink slime", I did a little research and it turns out that some of the companies that make it use citric acid instead of ammonia. Kind of tough to demonize citric acid, as it comes from fruit and people buy it as a supplement at health food stores. That's why ABC focused on evil ammonia.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Bleached flour
Submitted by CobraMan on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 1:02pm.
I'm surprised that ABC isn't doing a 3 part segment about "bleached" flour. Or how about the chlorine dioxide that is in everyone's tap water?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
They don't want to make fun
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 1:08pm.
They don't want to make fun of Boy Baraka's hair conditioner.
Ever eat bologna?
Submitted by CobraMan on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 12:02pm.
Ever eat bologna, Bal? It's comprised almost entirely of "pink slime."
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Absolutely, but I know that
Submitted by balboa on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 5:33pm.
Absolutely, but I know that bologna has all kinds of..."stuff" in it. I think the problem here is beef being sold as pure beef when it has this stuff in it.
What's the difference?
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 5:51pm.
What's the difference between beef and pure beef? Does regular beef contain pork?
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
I'm talking about saying a
Submitted by balboa on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 5:55pm.
I'm talking about saying a meat product is meat and not divulging that there's pink slime in it, to a large degree.
Additives
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 7:31pm.
I'm all in favor of prominent labeling for all food products. I suggest you do some minimal research on just how "pink slime" is made. You might feel a little more at ease if you happen to go to a cookout at a friends house and he's making hamburgers.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
I have.
Submitted by balboa on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 7:45pm.
I have.
Not to beat the pink slime out of a dead horse
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 8:02pm.
So in the situation I presented, will you eat your friend's burgers or ask him about what's in the meat? Just wondering.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Probably, but I'll be a
Submitted by balboa on Tue, 04/03/2012 - 8:12pm.
Probably, but I'll be a little more aware that I might be eating some slime. :-)
More crap from the LSM
Submitted by mmilesll on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 4:23pm.
I hope these beef manufacturers suit the living s..t out of this a hole reporter and ABC. When nobody watches you scream some bs to get people to listen to you.
What a contemptible piece of garbage!
Submitted by drsamherman on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 4:22pm.
There is no ambiguity in Avila's message. He accuses the mother, the governors and others of being bought out by the companies involved, and he tries to backtrack by saying that is not what he meant. We know very well what he meant, the only person lying in that room is Avila to himself. He is floating down Denial in a paper boat.
The word "slime" has another connotation.
Submitted by KyWriter on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 4:50pm.
It fits Avila perfectly.
No union workers.
Submitted by ghost of Mary J... on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 5:32pm.
See if AFA employed union workers they would still have jobs and MSM would not have to go after AFA.
Support Our Troops. God bless the US military.
http://adoptaplatoon.org/
No union workers.
Submitted by ghost of Mary J... on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 5:32pm.
See if AFA employed union workers they would still have jobs and MSM would not have to go after AFA.
Support Our Troops. God bless the US military.
http://adoptaplatoon.org/
Soylent Pink!
Submitted by teg on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 11:59pm.
So we went from the Tea Party and Regan to "Honey, shut up and eat your ammonia-treated meat by-product so we can put 800 Illegal Mexicans to work for some rich fat man who funds MRC under the table."
You know not one darn job in that plant was held by an American except the foreman. Ammonia-treated meat by-product technician doesn't sound very high paid, until you fall in it I guess and get to claim worker's comp! So, thinking about it now I bet the foreman is an Russian immigrant named Vlad...