Photo Courtesy of abcnews.com
AMARILLO, TEXAS -- It was announced Monday the BPI plant in Amarillo has suspended its operations, and the company says the culprit is the 'Pink Slime' identity made public by the media.
"Due to repeated inaccurate and frequently malicious news reports about our company and our products, our business has been severely impacted," BPI Food Safety and Quality Assurance Director Craig Letch stated at Monday's press conference. "As a result, we have no choice but to suspend operations at three plants including the one that we built here in Amarillo in 1981."
BPI has been in business for 30 years and the company has been part of the National School Lunch Program for 14 years. So, why is the bad rep coming about now? BPI said it is all thanks to reporters and networks supplying false information.
"We've been unfairly accused of making what the media called 'Pink Slime,' a catch phrase that has little resemblance to what we produce- 100 percent beef," Letch said. "Certain reporters purposely and repeatedly cast aside the facts in order to scare people into watching their programs."
According to Letch, more than 200 people lost their jobs at the plant in Amarillo. Fortunately for them, Letch also pointed out BPI feels the community deserves better than what the company has seen from the national media, and employees will be paid with benefits for the next 60 days. BPI hopes to reopen the plant, but Letch said that will only happen if the public becomes aware of the facts. He urged anyone with questions or curiosity about the quality of BPI products to visit the website created by the company.
"Jamie Oliver did the Amarillo community a hug disservice," Letch stated.
He would not comment on any legal action.
