Unfortunately, Beef Products, Inc. was a victim of a prime example of how a successful business can be taken down in nanoseconds by one word. This is a case of semantics. USDA meat inspector, Gerald Zirnstein, nicknamed the meat filler "pink slime" because of its appearance. It was merely a nickname that had no negative attitudes behind it. But the woman who blogged about it brought down decades of success and no issues by reshaping the harmless meaning of the nickname into something tragic and concerning. In PR terms, she spinned it. While it sucks for the business, this happens all the time and honestly should have been prepared for. If I was working for Beef Products, Inc., I would take the approach that Panera Bread has been taking since news of their foods not being fresh came out. The negative connotation needs to be re-spun and then they need to provide a "full disclosure" method of their products, like, "Here is what is in our products, this is what it does, this is why it's not harmful and we care about your health."
Nonetheless, I would advise Beef Products to prepare for the worst.
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