There will be an educational forum about the controversial finely textured lean beef better known as “pink slime” Tuesday in the Farm Bureau Pavilion in Kildee Hall. The forum is being called “The Truth: Lean Finely Textured Beef” in hopes of informing students, beef consumers and the general public about the product.

This event was organized by Brady McNeil, senior in animal science and president of ISU Block and Bridle Club; Sandy Dion, senior in agricultural business and president of the Meats Interest Group in ISU Block and Bridle Club; and Chelsey Branderhorst, junior in animal science and vice president of the Meats Interest Group in ISU Block and Bridle Club.

Branderhorst said she was unsure of how many people to expect to attend the event. “The pavilion holds about 300 people,” but the three student organizers have heard anywhere from 100 to 1,000 people. 

The speakers will include Gov. Terry Branstad, who will address the issues of Iowa jobs; Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds; Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa; and Jim Dickson, professor of animal science.

Janet Riley of the American Meat Institute, who has spoken on Fox News and CNN on the topic, will be flying in from Washington, D.C., for the event, and Nancy Degner of the Iowa Beef Industry Council also will be speaking.

The event is being sponsored by ISU Block and Bridle Club and the ISU animal science department.

The event was organized to “show the scientific side of the issue,” McNeil said.

Dickson, who has done a lot of research on the subject, will be given the most time to speak.

Concerns have been raised about potential protest groups coming to the event. McNeil said that they are “ready for anything,” if such events were to occur.

The ISU Block and Bridle Grill Team will be serving around 400 burgers at the event and there also will be shirts given away.

To get in the conversation on Twitter, the hashtag is #BeefisBeef.