False-advertising lawsuit filed over Taco Bell 'meat'

The class-action suit, which does not ask for money, objects to Taco Bell calling its products "seasoned ground beef or seasoned beef, when in fact a substantial amount of the filling contains substances other than beef."
The list of ingredients in the restaurant chain's taco meat filling:

Water, isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats (wheat), soy lecithin, sugar, spices, maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that is absorbed as glucose), soybean oil (anti-dusting agent), garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, caramel color, cocoa powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), natural flavors, yeast, modified corn starch, natural smoke flavor, salt, sodium phosphate, less than 2% of beef broth, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate.
 
Unless I'm missing it I don't see any beef at all.

No wonder it tastes so devine!

Yum-o!

From the Taco Bell website: http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/ingredient-statement/

"Seasoned Ground Beef

Beef, Water, Seasoning [Isolated Oat Product, Salt, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Oats (Wheat), Soy Lecithin, Sugar, Spices, Maltodextrin, Soybean Oil (Anti-dusting Agent), Garlic Powder, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Silicon Dioxide, Natural Flavors, Yeast, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Smoke Flavor], Salt, Sodium Phosphates. CONTAINS SOYBEAN, WHEAT"
 
By the way, there is nothing I can find on the "Ingredients Statement" page that is called "taco meat filling".  I suspect that this term might have been invented by a reporter or perhaps a lawyer in connection with the suit. 
 
I am not saying that Taco Bell is using 100% ground beef, but the FDA does require that the ingredients on an ingredient list be listed "in descending order of predominance by weight", which means there must be more ground beef (by weight) than water and more water (by weight) than the Seasoning mixture, Salt or Sodium Phosphates.

I believe I read that that beef was 35% of the total "Seasoned ground beef"

I have to ask...did anyone actually think it was pure beef?  Seriously.  This is worth a lawsuit?  *sigh*

So, where's Clara Peller when you need her?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug75diEyiA0

Clara Peller's "Where's the beef" line became an instant catch phrase across the United States. The diminutive octogenarian actress made the three-word phrase a cultural phenomenon, and herself a cult star. At Wendy's, sales jumped 31% to $945 million in 1985 worldwide.[6] Wendy's senior vice president for communications, Denny Lynch, stated at the time that "with Clara we accomplished as much in five weeks as we did in 14½ years."

Actually Felix I'm sort of happy there is a lawsuit. I have problems with the "kinda" legal names for products like "cheesey", "cheezy" and "beefy". I don't  begrudge mfrs using these if they would be labeled as fakes. Whey produsts aren't cheezy, they are whey products. Taco flavored product is not beef and the the tacos advertised on TV should be labeled as such. You wouldn't think of buying a Bayer aspiriny product; you'd expect aspirin not imitation aspirin, right?
 

MilwFoodlovers


Actually Felix I'm sort of happy there is a lawsuit. I have problems with the "kinda" legal names for products like "cheesey", "cheezy" and "beefy". I don't  begrudge mfrs using these if they would be labeled as fakes. Whey produsts aren't cheezy, they are whey products. Taco flavored product is not beef and the the tacos advertised on TV should be labeled as such. You wouldn't think of buying a Bayer aspiriny product; you'd expect aspirin not imitation aspirin, right?
 

Of course if absolute truth in food advertising were required, most food-serving operations would be out of business.  For example, anyone (including Dairy Queen) offering "soft serve" would have to call it "fake ice cream" or even more correctly, "whipped milk, sugar, corn syrup, whey and food chemicals product containing up to 60% air" (not really a very appetizing name).  See http://www.nationalpost.com/life/story.html?id=680377
 
I don't think most people (unless they are really out of touch) actually expect Cheez Whiz or Velveeta or something labeled "cheezy" to be 100% natural Wisconsin (or New York Herkimer or Oregon Tillamook) cheese.

Hmm, this article deals with "cheese" that isn't cheese and causes allergy problems.
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=79297
The same can be true with taco flavored product when someone expects beef.

MiamiDon


Yum-o!

That would be Yum Foods.

fishtaco

MiamiDon


Yum-o!

That would be Yum Foods.

Yum Brands include KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Wing Street, A&W Rootbeer and Long John Silvers. They do not own Jack in the Box.

I agree that lawsuits regarding apparently deceptive or fraudulent practices are perfectly appropriate.  However, I also believe we should have a loser-pays system. 

This experience says it all...  cave emptor!
 
Recently, at one of my hometown Taco Bells in McKinney, TX, I had an explanation/apology from the drive-thru window girl on why the line was moving so slowly:  "Our meat hose is broken!"

MellowRoast


I agree that lawsuits regarding apparently deceptive or fraudulent practices are perfectly appropriate.  However, I also believe we should have a loser-pays system. 

Amen, brother.  Why we didn't adopt this from the Scots is beyond me.

MetroplexJim


This experience says it all...  cave emptor!

Recently, at one of my hometown Taco Bells in McKinney, TX, I had an explanation/apology from the drive-thru window girl on why the line was moving so slowly:  "Our meat hose is broken!"

They must use that to pump up the product from their underground tanks!

6star

By the way, there is nothing I can find on the "Ingredients Statement" page that is called "taco meat filling".  I suspect that this term might have been invented by a reporter or perhaps a lawyer in connection with the suit. 

I am not saying that Taco Bell is using 100% ground beef, but the FDA does require that the ingredients on an ingredient list be listed "in descending order of predominance by weight", which means there must be more ground beef (by weight) than water and more water (by weight) than the Seasoning mixture, Salt or Sodium Phosphates.

 
I've been doing research and have reviewed the lawsuit. There is photographic evidence that the meat substance, beef or not, is internally referred to as "Taco Filling." So regardless, why do they change the name they advertise with? I think consistency in the name the substance is being called isn't too extreme of a request. Also, the USDA considers "ground beef" to be ground beef with or without seasoning without any extenders or fillers...since when is "isolated oat product" a seasoning? I don't ever recollect myself or anyone I know saying "You know what would make this taste perfect? ISOLATED OAT PRODUCT!" I mean, what kind of flavor is "isolated oat product" really offering? Taco Bell has labeled an extender/filler as a seasoning so that they can label their product "ground beef"/"seasoned ground beef," when in actuality, it is taco meat filling.

I enjoy the ad with the over the top lounge singer telling us about all the steak in a new product........"a whole honking cow". I very much doubt that if I were to order one, it would look like the one in the ad, nor would it have as much beef,,,,,,,or should I write "beef"?