Lawsuit filed in beef over Taco Bell 'meat'

[zstyles]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/fl-taco-bell-suit-20110124,0,3088351.story

"It says Taco Bell's ground beef is made of such components as water, isolated oat product, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch and sodium phosphate, as well as some beef and seasonings.

Just 35 percent of the taco filling was a solid, and just 15 percent overall was protein"

[Red Arrow]

Are some of those items only at trace levels?  I am thinking of "ingredients" listed on some products for people with severe allergic reactions to things like peanuts and corn products. 

I don't intend to imply that I think Taco filling is pure ground cow.

[nathanm]

I don't intend to imply that I think Taco filling is pure ground cow.

I would hope not! When I make hamburgers they aren't 100% pure ground cow. Maybe 80-90%.

That said, Taco Bell taco meat is particularly..odd. Tasty at times, but still odd.

[patric]

http://eater.com/archives/2011/02/02/lewis-black-on-taco-bell.php

Last night on The Daily Show, comedian Lewis Black admitted that he's no foodie and that he's okay with Taco Bell: "It's not like you eat it when you're sober." But after hearing about the lawsuit claiming that only 36% of the taco meat filling is actual beef, Black isn't having any of it: "When I ask an old Italian lady in a house dress what is in her sauce, she can tell me it's a secret. But when an Australian guy, running a Mexican restaurant with a dog for a mascot, says it, I want to know the secret."

[heironymouspasparagus]

Geez...all this national commotion about a taco!  To those who started this, I can only say "get a life"!!  It's Taco Bell, for chrissakes!  You don't go there expecting haute cuisine any more than you go to McDonald's expecting premium beef!!  Take it for what it is and move on.  I also think the 35%er's are going to be found out as perpetrating some kind of scam, much like the rat-in-a-Pepsi years ago.  I can believe they have at least 40% beef!  And I can live with that.  I could even live with the 85% TB claims if that turns out to be true.

But when I want real beef, I go to Conrow's meat market.  Or used to.  Haven't eaten real beef in so long, I think it would destroy the equilibrium my system has established with myself, so I don't rock the boat!

[BKDotCom]

It's actually part of the larger "what are you eating" / "do you know what you're eating" thing.
Our food has gotten so processed..  most people have no idea.   
You should know what you're eating whether or not you want to know or not.

[custosnox]

It's actually part of the larger "what are you eating" / "do you know what you're eating" thing.
Our food has gotten so processed..  most people have no idea.   
You should know what you're eating whether or not you want to know or not.

Two words: Hot Dogs

[dbacks fan]

Geez...all this national commotion about a taco!  To those who started this, I can only say "get a life"!!  It's Taco Bell, for chrissakes!  You don't go there expecting haute cuisine any more than you go to McDonald's expecting premium beef!!  Take it for what it is and move on.  I also think the 35%er's are going to be found out as perpetrating some kind of scam, much like the rat-in-a-Pepsi years ago.  I can believe they have at least 40% beef!  And I can live with that.  I could even live with the 85% TB claims if that turns out to be true.

But when I want real beef, I go to Conrow's meat market.  Or used to.  Haven't eaten real beef in so long, I think it would destroy the equilibrium my system has established with myself, so I don't rock the boat!

It's the food czars in DC that are trying to tell us what to eat, because we can't make the distinction and the choice as to what to eat, and how much to eat.

I'm waiting for, and it may have already happened, you shouldn't slow cook meat with wood chips/chunks, the smoke has carcinogens in it that causes cancer, so you shouldn't eat smoked foods because they may have cancer causing agents in them. Don't use ketchup, too much sugar and salt. Spices? They might irritate the digestive system and cause problems. Beef? Bad. Poultry? Bad. Pork? Bad. Lamb? Bad. Soda? Bad. Sports Drinks? Bad. Milk, coffee, tea, water? Bad.

Sorry, just got on a rant about what's coming out of DC, and I'll be damned if they are going to tell me what to eat, how to cook it, what to drink, and how to drink it.

[Red Arrow]

The only thing good for you is an occasional beer or glass of red wine.  A person could get pretty hungry.

[nathanm]

Sorry, just got on a rant about what's coming out of DC, and I'll be damned if they are going to tell me what to eat, how to cook it, what to drink, and how to drink it.

Personally, I think it's good they tell us what's good or bad for us. It makes us better informed consumers, and thus helps our capitalist system be the best it can be. Where I draw the line is telling me I can or cannot eat something.

It would be OK with me if they said "smoked food has known carcinogens in it." It would not be OK with me if there were a law passed making it illegal to prepare or eat smoked food.

[zstyles]

I just thought it was interesting as I never really thought about what was in Taco Bell's beef, I don't eat there much but when I am done with a job late around 2am its about the only place open! I try to stick to bueno or actually real food if I can catch a diner open, not trying to start anything here Just thought it was interesting plus I can only do so much talking about snow!

[Breadburner]

[heironymouspasparagus]

DC should be requiring the exposure of what is in the food.  That is a significant, legitimate function of government.  All that stuff.  Calories, fat, vitamins, ingredients. 

And then it is MY personal responsibility to decide whether I want it or not.  And that includes restaurants.

What we have here is someone who has personally CHOSEN to eat at Taco Bell and now complains about it because it isn't Ruth's Chris!  <Insert biggest "DUH" in the world here>

[Gaspar]

I envision a future where all restaurants are Taco Bell. . . and we have robot cops!

[heironymouspasparagus]

Many of them ARE Taco Bell.  Taco Mayo.  Mazzio's.  Carl's Jr.  Popeyes.  Jack in the Box.  Taco Bueno (that ought to stir up some stuff).  And many others.

I did read recently that McDonalds has lost count of the billions and billions.  And just as they were starting on cow number 42!  What a shame!