In April 1996 Lyman came to national attention during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Lyman's remarks on the show led to Winfrey renouncing hamburgers. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association sued Lyman and Winfrey. Both were found not liable in 1998. While the CDC and USDA maintained that Mad Cow Disease could not occur in the US, the government of Japan did not agree.
