Taco Bell: "Thank you for Suing Us"
By Anthony Todd in Food on Jan 28, 2011 4:20PM
Earlier in the week, an Alabama law firm announced that it was suing Taco Bell for not having enough beef in its beef. The story quickly went viral, running around the interwebs faster than the Taco Bell chihuahua chasing after a blond girl. Taco Bell issued a response (more of a denial) which we posted. Today, Taco Bell has responded in force, taking out full page ads in major newspapers all over America. The ads read "Thank you for Suing Us" and deny that there is any problem.
Taco Bell insists that the meat mix is 88% beef and 12% secret recipe. While this may or may not be true, we don't think its the greatest PR move, just because "secret recipe" kind of sounds like they are hiding dead squirrels in the mixer. Note to Taco Bell - Chicagoist does NOT believe that you are hiding anything inappropriate in your taco filling. Just a comment on PR strategy. In all seriousness, the contents of the taco filling are and always have been available on Taco Bell's website. You may remember that the law firm said that, based on its own lab tests, the meat was on 35% beef.
Really, despite the PR battles, this case is more about the labels and the way the courts interpret them than any allegations of poisoning or wrongdoing. If the regulations read that no water is allowed in something labeled "Ground beef," Taco Bell will have to respond to that with something other than platitudes about how high-quality the ingredients are. According to USDA fact sheets, "A maximum of 30% fat is allowed in either hamburger or ground beef. Both hamburger and ground beef can have seasonings, but no water, phosphates, extenders, or binders added. The labeling of meat food products must comply with the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and the meat inspection regulations and labeling policies." The second ingredient in Taco Bell's ground beef, according to their own information, is water. If the regulations are interpreted more broadly, it'll get complicated. Looks like this one is going to get fought out in court.