 Other consumer advocacy groups , notably the National Consumers League , expressed dismay at the popular reaction against the product , and especially the plant closures " because of business the company has lost to very serious misinformation , widely disseminated by the media , about its product , lean finely textured beef ( LFTB ) " . Similarly , the Consumer Federation of America said the plant closures were " unfortunate " and expressed concern that the product might be replaced in ground beef with " something that has not been processed to assure the same level of safety " . U.S. consumers have expressed concerns that ground beef which contains the product is not labeled as such , and that consumers are currently unable to make informed purchasing decisions due to this lack of product labeling . Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey called upon the USDA to institute mandatory labeling guidelines for ground beef sold in supermarkets , so consumers can make informed purchasing decisions . 
