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blamed what they considered a smear campaign against the product, which has drawn scrutiny even though they and industry officials insist that it's safe.
• "This is a sad day for the state of Iowa," said Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. "The fact that a false, misleading smear campaign can destroy a company's reputation overnight should disturb us all."
• The Republican governor said the workers will "go home to their families and will soon be without a job, all because some media on the coasts decided to unfairly and viciously smear the product they so proudly produced."
• The phrase "pink slime," coined by a federal microbiologist, has appeared in the media at least since a critical 2009 New York Times report. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has railed against it, and it made headlines after McDonald's and other major chains discontinued their use last year.

• But a recent piece by The Daily on the USDA's purchase of meat that included "pink slime" for school lunches touched a nerve with a Texas blogger who focuses on kids' food. She started an online petition asking U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to halt its use in school food, and the USDA will give schools the option of choosing ground beef that doesn't contain it starting in the fall.
• Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman called the plant closings "unfortunate and needless," and said

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