It wasn't a fakumentary. Food Lion never challenged the accuracy of the report and all the damning film footage. They sued, and won, because the reporter lied in order to get the job.
If I remember right, the reporter also was involved in setting up some of the very things that the report was exposing. IOW, it was a hit piece from the get-go. The reporter created the news just like the NBC gas tank on the chevy pick-up......