Taco Bell

Thank you for your insightful input, Elana.

sorry but they do

They just say the beef they use is 100% inspected beef. Meaning only the beef used is beef. Not that the mixture is 100% beef, which is what is being argued to a lesser degree (using 35% instead of 40% or something like that).

yeah sure, they use 65% flavoring, whatever...

Don't forget gym socks

65% is the tortilla, cheese, and vegetables.

either you're a college student, or you're white.

This news is almost exciting as watching paint dry.

Never mind this can't beat watching paint dry, fun times.

Attorneys question whether what Taco Bell calls ‘beef’ is actually beef

By Brett Michael Dykes brett Michael Dykes – Tue Jan 25, 1:04 pm ET

The late-night crowd knows all too well the allure of Taco Bell's piping-hot creations. But is it really ground beef they're putting in that beef meximelt?

That's the question at the heart of a lawsuit filed recently by the Montgomery, Alabama-based law firm Beasley Allen.

The standard for what constitutes beef as defined by the USDA is pretty straightforward: "flesh of animals." In the "Food Facts" section of its website, Taco Bell says the following about its beef: "Our taco meat is made from USDA-inspected beef and is subjected to quality check points. It tastes great because it's simmered in 12 authentic seasonings and spices and is never frozen. Moreover, our taco meat is leaner than what you'll find in a restaurant-cooked hamburger because of the unique way that we prepare our taco meat and remove fat." But Beasley Allen contends that the company's claims are untrue.

"Rather than beef, these food items are actually made with a substance known as 'taco meat filling,' " the lawsuit says. The firm contends that that Taco Bell shouldn't market the taco meat filling in question as beef because their testing shows that it only contains 36 percent ground beef. If that's true, Taco Bell's meat filling product would fall below the already generous USDA standard for it to qualify as meat -- the present standard demands it consist of at least 40 percent meat. This inspired Gizmodo's Jesus Diaz to crack, "Perhaps they should call it 'Almost Taco Meat Filling.'"

The remainder of the Taco Bell's meat filling product consists of "extenders" like water, "Isolated Oat Product," wheat oats, maltodrextrin, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch, sodium phosphate and silicon dioxide.

Taco Bell actually addresses its use if silicon dioxide in the "Food Facts" section of its website under the question, "I heard a rumor that there's sand in your taco meat?" It then goes on to explain that silicone dioxide is "a safe, common food ingredient" that's "primarily used in food to prevent ingredients from sticking together."

In response, Taco Bell has issued a statement insisting that the suit is unfounded: "Taco Bell prides itself on serving high quality Mexican inspired food with great value. We're happy that the millions of customers we serve every week agree. We deny our advertising is misleading in any way and we intend to vigorously defend the suit."

In any event, the lawsuit's appetite-squelching accusations are likely to provide plenty of unadulterated fodder for late night comedians. "Late Show with David Letterman" head writer Eric Stangel was already making Taco Bell jokes on his Twitter page this morning, cracking that because of the lawsuit we're all finally "about to find out where the Taco Bell Chihuahua went."


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UPDATE: Taco Bell President and Chief Concept Officer Greg Creed contacted The Lookout with a strongly worded amended corporate response to the lawsuit:

At Taco Bell, we buy our beef from the same trusted brands you find in the supermarket, like Tyson Foods. We start with 100 percent USDA-inspected beef. Then we simmer it in our proprietary blend of seasonings and spices to give our seasoned beef its signature Taco Bell taste and texture. We are proud of the quality of our beef and identify all the seasoning and spice ingredients on our website. Unfortunately, the lawyers in this case elected to sue first and ask questions later -- and got their "facts" absolutely wrong. We plan to take legal action for the false statements being made about our food.

and people want Santa Clause to move to FL. They're people, and of course it will always be about the money.

Look at what kind of ads you guys are causing:

According to Taco Bell's website, these are the ingredients in their "seasoned beef":

While most of these ingredients are inane and not unusual, the point of the lawsuit is NOT to bash the unhealthy characteristics of Taco Bell's beef products. As mentioned earlier in this thread, it's common knowledge that eating Taco Bell beef isn't a healthy/responsible choice. That's not in question.

The lawsuit is challenging the legality of advertising their taco meat as "seasoned beef", when it (reportedly) does not meet the minimum USDA requirements for being labeled "beef".

Still don't understand?
Put it this way:
One could be serving fresh-cut USDA Prime Filet Mignon ground up in taco meat ... but if the resulting meat mixture (meaning beef+fillers+seasoning+garbage; NOT the lettuce/tomatoes/tortilla/salsa/etc.) is only 35% cow, then one can not label the resulting mixture as "beef".

By labeling/marketing their meat mixture as "beef", Taco Bell may be misleading its consumers, and gaining an unfair advantage over its competitors. That's what's at stake in this lawsuit.

I love how some commentary in this thread has devolved into "I love Taco Bell, don't take away my Taco Bell!", as if Taco Bell represents a cherished plush teddy-bear from your childhood.
This lawsuit doesn't aim to "take away" Taco Bell.
It aims to coerce Taco Bell into truthfully advertise what they are peddling, in accordance with (very lenient) USDA standards/definitions of "beef".

I always order my Taco Bell food with chicken anyway. Their beef tastes nasty. Grilled Stuffed Burrito FTW!

Bout to get me some taco bell right now

I haven't eaten Taco Bell in months, but this thread has me craving a cheesy gordita crunch and/or a chicken quesadilla

The exact things I almost always eat there... f'ing win

Idk what I want to get :(

Where do you live that the closest Bell is 500 miles away? :o

Canada. :P

My question to those on the defensive side of the bell.
If a ruling such is this forced taco bell to put a more appropriate amount of meat in their food would that upset you in any way?

I have no problems with any fast food company forced to improve the quality of their food.

I lol'd. So hard. I can just see the exec writing that response from his fancy office, on the 30th floor of the Taco Bell headquarters, downtown in some major city, and then taking a break halfway through to eat a gourmet plate of Volcano Burrito, Cinnamon Twists and Dr. Pepper, with garnishes and china and crystal glasses and presented to him by his own private chef.

um, what? Taco Bell is low-quality food that converts into high-quality gas and projectile fuel.

JUST LIKE 4LOKO!

Hahaha! No kidding, right?
On what rating scale does Taco Bell food rank as "high quality food"?
I mean, one might like the taste, one might like the fast service .... but high quality food? ... no way, lol.

I will still eat it!

Why are you so angry about this? lol...