KCRA & the Safeway Meat Scandal (13)
I still hadn't had a chance to hear Safeway's side. I started by calling the most accessible company spokesman, Tom Allen, who was the public relations officer at the firm's regional headquarters in Sacramento. Allen said he couldn't comment on the case. I'd have to check with International Headquarters in Oakland.
The man Allen suggested was "out" when I called, so I gave the secretary my name and number and settled back to review my notes.
Not long afterward, I got a return call: Tom Allen again. He said he had something for me. Did I have a pencil and paper ready to take it down? I assured him I did. He went on to read a non-specific formal statement:
We have the finest meat program in the country, and welcome scrutiny by any consumer group and the government.
This is harassment by the Interfaith Committee, and the real issue is lettuce. In our opinion, the Interfaith Committee has misinformed and misled some of our elected government officials.
That was all. Tom Allen had been so vague about what he was going to give me that now I had to ask who the statement should be attributed to.
"Tom Allen," he shot back.
Was it the position of International? Yes.
Later wire copy attributed an identical statement to Calvin Pond, International's vice president for public relations.
