The last thing the company wanted was to leave products on the market that were killing people and making others sick. The company reveled in a positive image. Leading business publications heralded Sara Lee as one of the best companies to work for in the United States. Ball Park was the nation's top-selling hot dog brand. A MIchigan meat plant struggles with santiation.
Listeriosis outbreak begins in Tennessee, Ohio, New York and Connecticut.
Sara Lee starts damage control while the USDA still sits on the fence. A consumer hot line leaves callers cold. Enter the lawyers. Far from it. The government must put the public before the industry.