Evil Con Carne: Ala. law firm sues Taco Bell for false advertising

[onedef92]

When is beef not beef? Ala. law firm sues Taco Bell

Posted: Jan 21, 2011 1:51 PM EST
Updated: Jan 21, 2011 9:05 PM EST

Taco Bell container label Beasley Allen law firm says is proof Taco Bell is misleading its customers.

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - What's in a name? That's the question at the heart of a class action lawsuit Montgomery, Alabama law firm Beasley Allen filed targeting fast food giant Taco Bell.

The lawsuit claims the company uses "false advertising" on its menu and in its advertisements.

WSFA 12 News contacted the Taco Bell Corporation for a response to the lawsuit. Company spokesman Rob Poetsch issued this statement::

"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.

"The complaint alleges that what Taco Bell calls "beef" doesn't meet the minimum requirements set by the USDA to be called "beef" or "seasoned ground beef" or anything of the kind.

"Rather than beef, these food items are actually made with a substance known as "taco meat filling," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit states that Taco Bell should refer to its product as "taco meat filling" because it contains mostly "extenders" and other non-meat substances.

What are these substances? The document lists water, "Isolated Oat Product," wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch and sodium phosphate as well as beef and seasonings.

The USDA defines "beef" as "flesh of cattle."

The definition as read in the lawsuit states "Ground beef" "shall consist of chopped fresh and/or frozen beef with or without seasoning and without the addition of beef fat as such, shall not contain more than 30 percent fat, and shall not contain added water, phosphates, binders, or extenders."

The USDA policy book requires food labeled as "taco filling" to contain "at least 40 percent fresh meat," and the label must show the true product name.

In containers shipped to Taco Bell stores, not seen by consumers, the label reads: "Taco Meat Filling."

Beasley Allen law firm adds that what Taco Bell is marketing as beef only contains 36% meat.

[Scissors]

The lawsuit states that Taco Bell should refer to its product as "taco meat filling" because it contains mostly "extenders" and other non-meat substances.

What are these substances? The document lists water, "Isolated Oat Product," wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch and sodium phosphate as well as beef and seasonings.

Hell, that's probably healthier for you than actual beef. lol

[onedef92]

Taco Hell: Home of Sawdust Meat.

[Thud]

Taco meat filling, pasteurized processed cheese-like compound, but at least the lettuce is realistic.

[Montehall]

Originally Posted by Scissors

Hell, that's probably healthier for you than actual beef. lol

not a chance.

The human body was designed to digest beef.
when you start adding crap that was designed in a lab for filler, you are eating things that the human body has no idea what to do with.

Take Soda. most people I've seen who drink diet soda are overwieght, yet regular soda is full or evil sugar, even though most of the time, the regualr soda drinker appear to be of a lesser BMI.
it's because Sugar is a natural substance and the body can process that. When you get crap like Aspratame, the body has no idea what to do with it, so it doesn't get digested properly.


as for Taco Bells lettuce... sure, except the hormones, pesticides and fertilizer.

[Thud]

Originally Posted by onedef92

What are these substances? The document lists water, "Isolated Oat Product," wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch and sodium phosphate as well as beef and seasonings.

Actually.... if you substitute "assorted sheep parts" with beef in that ingredient list, you'd have haggis.

[Scissors]

Originally Posted by Montehall

not a chance.

The human body was designed to digest beef.
when you start adding crap that was designed in a lab for filler, you are eating things that the human body has no idea what to do with.

You do realize that almost all of those ingredients are natural, right?

Take Soda. most people I've seen who drink diet soda are overwieght, yet regular soda is full or evil sugar, even though most of the time, the regualr soda drinker appear to be of a lesser BMI.
it's because Sugar is a natural substance and the body can process that. When you get crap like Aspratame, the body has no idea what to do with it, so it doesn't get digested properly.

Un...no. Simple sugars are a huge part of obesity. Just because your body digests something doesn't magically make it good for you in excess.

[Yerf Dog]

Is anyone really surprised at this discovery?

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Scissors

You do realize that almost all of those ingredients are natural, right?

This legal dream team is taking this case on contingency basis, right? I mean, there wasn't actually a horde of disgruntled customers clamoring for justice that walked in and paid the law firm to file suit against Taco Bell, right?

How's this shakedown supposed to work? Taco Bell settles by offering coupons for $ .25 off a future taco purchase for its customers, and the law firm gets paid in a few million to go away, and for saving the public from this gross (pun intended) miscarriage of justice?


I'd find for Taco Bell if I was a juror. You're at Taco Bell. The 5 Layer Beefy Burrito is $ .99. I think we all understand what that means. No rational person would expect Kobe beef in a $ .99 taco.

[DropTheTop]

Originally Posted by Yerf Dog

Is anyone really surprised at this discovery?

Not me. I DGAS what's in it, I'm still housing down a shit ton of them when the mood arises!

[jeff w]

Originally Posted by DropTheTop

Not me. I DGAS what's in it, I'm still housing down a shit ton of them when the mood arises!

I loves me some midnight drunken Taco Bell.

[wicked_c6]

I wanna know wtf the other 60% filler is?

[wicked_c6]

Originally Posted by Montehall

not a chance.

The human body was designed to digest beef.
when you start adding crap that was designed in a lab for filler, you are eating things that the human body has no idea what to do with.

Take Soda. most people I've seen who drink diet soda are overwieght, yet regular soda is full or evil sugar, even though most of the time, the regualr soda drinker appear to be of a lesser BMI.
it's because Sugar is a natural substance and the body can process that. When you get crap like Aspratame, the body has no idea what to do with it, so it doesn't get digested properly.


as for Taco Bells lettuce... sure, except the hormones, pesticides and fertilizer.

Actually sode has HFCS...high fructose corn syrup...which some studies say is screwing up body metabolism as well. We've been trying to buy mexican coca cola at Walmart (used to sell it but now its not there). It was made with real sugar. Tasted better too. When did Americans really start getting obese? Late 60s early 70's...oh right about the time food producers started switching to cheaper high fructose corn syrup over sugar.

[Sleestak]

I woulda guessed 36% beef was on the high side for Taco Bell meat. I don't think anyone goes to Taco Bell thinking it's even 10% actual beef. Hell, I don't think anyone goes to Taco Bell thinking.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by Sleestak

I woulda guessed 36% beef was on the high side for Taco Bell meat. I don't think anyone goes to Taco Bell thinking it's even 10% actual beef. Hell, I don't think anyone goes to Taco Bell thinking.

I'm a busy guy, with a lot on my mind. I find it refreshing that I have a whole country full of attorneys to do my thinking for me

[Scissors]

Originally Posted by wicked_c6

Actually sode has HFCS...high fructose corn syrup...which some studies say is screwing up body metabolism as well. We've been trying to buy mexican coca cola at Walmart (used to sell it but now its not there). It was made with real sugar. Tasted better too. When did Americans really start getting obese? Late 60s early 70's...oh right about the time food producers started switching to cheaper high fructose corn syrup over sugar.

I wouldn't be so quick to blame HFCS, and that isn't the only thing to change during that time period.

What is HFCS? Basically it's water, fructose, and glucose. Fructose and glucose are very simple sugars (monosaccharides) which are very easy to digest.

What is sucrose (AKA table sugar)? Basically it's molecule formed by combining a fructose molecule with a glucose molecule (a disaccharide).

So what's the difference? Effectively, sucrose carries 4 kilocalories per gram whereas HFCS carries only 3 kilocalories per gram. Consumed in equal masses, the "natural" sugar is more likely to result in obesity.

The more likely explanation is that consumption of sugars (of any type) has increased drastically, while physical exertion on a day-to-day basis has dropped.

It should also be noted that prior to the widespread use of HFCS, the primary sweetener was glucose, not sucrose. The conversion of some sucrose into fructose was done to improve solubility in water.

[NeedSpeed]

They often say "beefy" which implies "beef-like"

[Scissors]

Also, the use of refined sugar (sucrose) and HFCS has remained pretty steady since 1985, yet obesity has skyrocketed since then.

[Aerovette]

I worked at Godfather's Pizza many years ago and we had packages labeled "Beef flavored soy product" and "Sausage flavored soy product".

Yummmmmmmmm.

[MattW]

Originally Posted by Montehall

not a chance.

The human body was designed to digest beef.
when you start adding crap that was designed in a lab for filler, you are eating things that the human body has no idea what to do with.

"Designed to digest beef" is the sort of ridiculous statement militant carnivore-humans use when they get all defensive about their diet. It's just not true.

Humans are OMNIVORES. Our GI system is meant to digest *everything* that is possibly digestable, and many things that are pretty questionable. Our ability to get nutrition from almost any old garbage is one of the major reasons we're such a successful species