DUDE IT'S BEEF...THAT'S THE SLOGAN  NEBRASKA LT. GOVERNOR RICK SHEEHY SAYS SHOULD BE USED TO REFER TO LEAN FINELY TEXTURED BEEF.

SHEEHY AND OFFICIALS FROM FIVE STATES, THE U.S.D.A AND FOOD SAFETY EXPERTS TOURED BEEF PRODUCTS INCORPORATED SOUTH SIOUX CITY PLANT THURSDAY AFTERNOON TO SEE HOW THE LEAN BEEF IS PRODUCED.

NANCY DONLEY WAS PRESIDENT FOR TEN YEARS OF THE GROUP STOP FOOD BOURNE ILLNESS. SHE LOST HER ONLY CHILD TO E-COLI POISONING AND SAYS B-P-I'S PROCESS HELPS MAKE GROUND BEEF SAFER TO EAT AND PROTECTS PEOPLE FROM POTENTIALLY FATAL PATHOGENS:

GOVERNOR TERRY BRANSTAD TOOK A NETWORK TV REPORTER TO TASK WHEN HE QUESTIOPNED WHY B-P-I DIDN'T SELL THEIR PRODUCT AS AN ADDITIVE. BRANSTAD SAYS NATIONAL MEDIA DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE PRODUCT IS REAL BEEF:

TEXAS GOVERNOR RICK PERRY AND KANSAS GOVERNOR SAM BROWNBACK, WHOSE STATES HAD B-P-I PLANT CLOSINGS ON MONDAY, WERE ALSO ON THE TOUR.

TEMPERS FLARED AT THE B-P-I NEWS CONFERENCE WITH IOWA GOVERNOR TERRY BRANSTAD AND OTHERS OVER QUESTIONS FROM ABC-TV NEWS REPORTER JIM AVILA.

AVILA DREW AN ANGRY RESPONSE WHEN HE ASKED BRANSTAD IF 150-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM B-P-I OWNERS ELDON AND REGINA ROTH HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIS SUPPORT OF THEIR COMPANY:

AVILA THEN FOLLOWED UP WITH A SIMILAR QUESTION TO FOOD SAFETY ADVOCATE NANCY DONLEY, WHOSE SON DIED FROM E-COLI POISONING. AVILA QUESTIONED WHY DONLEY HAD REMOVED INFORMATION FROM HER WEBSITE THAT SHOWED B-P-I HAD DONATED AROUND 250-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HER ORGANIZATION.

DONLEY SAYS IT'S BECAUSE THE DONORS ASKED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.

TEXAS GOVERNOR RICK PERRY THEN CHALLENGED AVILA ON HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC: AVILA SAID HE DIDN'T WANT TO RESPOND TO THE GOVERNOR'S QUESTIONS:

SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE CROWD SHOUTED FOR AVILA TO BE REMOVED FROM THE NEWS CONFERENCE, BUT DONLEY SAID THAT AVILA HAD A RIGHT TO STAY FOR THE REST OF THE QUESTIONING.

WAL-MART IS MAINTAINING ITS DECISION TO NOT CARRY GROUND BEEF CONTAINING LEAN FINELY TEXTURED BEEF.

WAL-MART SPOKESPERSON DEISHA BARNETT REPEATED AN EARLIER COMPANY STATEMENT IN AN E-MAIL TO KSCJ THAT BOTH WAL-MART AND SAM'S CLUB WOULD OFFER FRESH GROUND BEEF THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN L-F-T-B.

BARNETT SAYS WHILE THE USDA AND EXPERTS AGREE THAT THE BEEF IS SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS, WAL-MART REMAINS COMMITTED TO LISTENING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.
  .

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE RALLIED TO SUPPORT BEEF PRODUCTS INCORPORATED ONLINE OVER THE PAST WEEK.

TWO FACEBOOK SITES HAVE BEEN ADDING HUNDREDS OF FOLLOWERS PER DAY.

THE FIRST SITE, "PEOPLE FOR THE TRUTH", HAD ALMOST 16-THOUSAND MEMBERS AS OF 9AM THURSDAY MORNING.
  

ANOTHER SITE, FRIENDS OF B-P-I, HAD OVER 5500 MEMBERS. YOU CAN FIND BOTH SITES BY DOING A SEARCH ON FACEBOOK.