Jury seated in South Dakota 'pink slime' defamation trial

A jury has been selected in a more than $1 billion defamation case over ABC news reports on a South Dakota meat producer's lean, finely textured beef product, which critics have dubbed "pink slime."

Opening statements are set for Monday. The Sioux City Journal reports that a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates was seated this week.

Dakota Dunes-based Beef Products Inc. sued ABC in 2012. The company says the television network's coverage misled consumers into believing the product is unsafe. BPI says that led to plant closures and hundreds of layoffs.

ABC stands by its reporting. It says in court documents that it accurately presented views and information from "knowledgeable sources on a matter of keen public interest."

The trial is scheduled to last until late July.