Tac Bell Sued Over Meat That's Just 35 Percent Beef

[rachael]

[b][size="2"]Ta[font="Arial"]c[/font]o Bell Sued Over Meat That's Just 35 Percent Beef[/size][/b]

Published January 25, 2011 | FoxNews.com

You'll have to pardon the puns, but...

taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell might want to change it's "Think Outside the Bun" campaign to "What's Really in That taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good)?" after a class-action lawsuit filed against the fast-food giant claimed its taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) filler doesn't, um, "meat" federal standards.

The suit against the YUM-brands chain also has a "beef" with the company's advertising, charging its claims of using "seasoned ground beef" or "seasoned beef" in its food products is false.
According to the suit filed by the Alabama law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, the YUM-brands owned chain is using a meat mixture that contains binders and extenders, and does not meet the minimum requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be labeled as "beef.”

Attorney Dee Miles said the meat mixture contained just 35 percent beef, with the remaining 65 percent containing water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch.

The suit was filed on behalf of taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell customer and California resident Amanda Obney, who is not seeking monetary damages, but instead wants a court to order taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell to be honest in its advertising.

"We are asking that they stop saying that they are selling beef," Miles said.

Irvine, Calif.-based taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell spokesman Rob Poetsch said the company denies that its advertising is misleading and said the company would "vigorously defend the suit."

While the company does list its ingredients on its website — and indicates whether they are allergens — registered dietitian and Fox News contributor Tanya Zuckerbrot said the fillers could be a danger for some consumers.

“Wheat oats, soy lecithin and maltodrextrin are common allergens that are often added to processed foods as fillers because they are much less expensive than meat,” she said. “Aside from being misleading, this form of false advertising puts the consumer at risk as well.”

Zuckerbrot said according to the USDA, “ground beef can have seasonings, but no water, phosphates, extenders, or binders added.” The meat from taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell does not meet the minimum requirements set by the USDA, she said.

“Rather than taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell calling the meat ‘seasoned ground beef’ they should refer to it as ‘mixed meat’ and list the additional ingredients so consumers can know what they are putting into their mouths,” she said.


http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/01/25/wheres-beef-taco (amazingly good)-bell-sued-ingredients/

Edited January 26, 2011 by rachael

[havok579257]

[quote name='rachael' timestamp='1296047106' post='2204521']
[b][size="2"]Ta[font="Arial"]c[/font]o Bell Sued Over Meat That's Just 35 Percent Beef[/size][/b]

Published January 25, 2011 | FoxNews.com

You'll have to pardon the puns, but...

taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell might want to change it's "Think Outside the Bun" campaign to "What's Really in That taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good)?" after a class-action lawsuit filed against the fast-food giant claimed its taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) filler doesn't, um, "meat" federal standards.

The suit against the YUM-brands chain also has a "beef" with the company's advertising, charging its claims of using "seasoned ground beef" or "seasoned beef" in its food products is false.
According to the suit filed by the Alabama law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, the YUM-brands owned chain is using a meat mixture that contains binders and extenders, and does not meet the minimum requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be labeled as "beef.”

Attorney Dee Miles said the meat mixture contained just 35 percent beef, with the remaining 65 percent containing water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch.

The suit was filed on behalf of taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell customer and California resident Amanda Obney, who is not seeking monetary damages, but instead wants a court to order taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell to be honest in its advertising.

"We are asking that they stop saying that they are selling beef," Miles said.

Irvine, Calif.-based taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell spokesman Rob Poetsch said the company denies that its advertising is misleading and said the company would "vigorously defend the suit."

While the company does list its ingredients on its website — and indicates whether they are allergens — registered dietitian and Fox News contributor Tanya Zuckerbrot said the fillers could be a danger for some consumers.

“Wheat oats, soy lecithin and maltodrextrin are common allergens that are often added to processed foods as fillers because they are much less expensive than meat,” she said. “Aside from being misleading, this form of false advertising puts the consumer at risk as well.”

Zuckerbrot said according to the USDA, “ground beef can have seasonings, but no water, phosphates, extenders, or binders added.” The meat from taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell does not meet the minimum requirements set by the USDA, she said.

“Rather than taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell calling the meat ‘seasoned ground beef’ they should refer to it as ‘mixed meat’ and list the additional ingredients so consumers can know what they are putting into their mouths,” she said.


http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/01/25/wheres-beef-taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good)-bell-sued-ingredients/
[/quote]


just what this society needs, more lawsuits. last i checked, taco (amazingly good) bell never forced anyone to eat there. also could they really not tell it wasn't meat? seriously? i knew that when i was a teenager.

[YMNolan]

It could be revealed that taco (amazingly good) Bell's beef contained 0% actual meat... and I'd still eat there!

Plus anyone who has ever seen Demolition Man knows that all restaurants are taco (amazingly good) Bells in the future.

[ardillacid]

let the buyer beware

[CatherineM]

If it is okay in meatloaf, why not ta[i][/i]co?

[Tony]

this is gonna get interesting

[img]http://i.huffpost.com/gen/242169/taco (amazingly good)-BELL-MEAT-BEEF-LAWSUIT-NEWSPAPER-ADS.jpg[/img]

[Tony]

ugh the fil.ter really butchered that last thing up but..

[url="http://bit.ly/fm1muT"]"THANK YOU FOR SUING US!"[/url]


[quote][i]"Thank you For Suing Us. Here's The Truth About Our Seasoned Beef."

That statement is now headlining taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell's new aggressive advertising campaign Friday that fights back against the lawsuit accusing the fast food chain of misleading customers about the quantity of beef in its beef tacos, so very tasty and good for you,, so very tasty and good for you,, so very tasty and good for you,.

The full-page print ads in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times and other papers as well as online ads launched to "set the record straight." Each ad goes as far as outlining the meats coveted "secret" ingredients.

The company says that its beef is made up of 88 percent beef, and 12 percent secret recipe. Of that secret 12 percent, 4 percent is made up of their Mexican spices and flavors, 3 percent is water to keep it moist and juicy, and five percent is oats, caramel oats, and much more.

The class-action lawsuit was filed late last week in federal court in California. It claimed taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell falsely advertised its products as "beef." The suit alleges that the fast-food chain actually uses a meat mixture in its burritos and tacos, so very tasty and good for you,, so very tasty and good for you,, so very tasty and good for you, that contains binders and extenders and does not meet requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be labeled "beef."

The lawsuit, filed by the Alabama law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, doesn't specify what percentage of the mixture is meat. But the firm's attorney Dee Miles said the firm had the product tested and found it contained less than 35 percent beef. The firm would not say who tested the meat or give any other specifics of the analysis.

When customers bite into a crunchy beef taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good), they are actually munching on water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch, the lawsuit claims.

The company has released a video starring the President of taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell Greg Creed in which he defends the beef.

"We stand behind the quality of our seasoned beef 100 percent," he says. "Our beef is 100 percent USDA inspected just like the quality beef you buy in a supermarket and prepare in your home."

Creed goes on to say that just like your homemade Chili, the company adds its own recipe of seasoning and spices to give the beef flavor and texture.

Still, the company couldn't ignore the case after it made headlines and quickly spread online.

"This is one of those things that could be a humongous threat to their brand, which is why taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell has taken such an aggressive stance on this," said Marc Williams, an attorney at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough with extensive experience in fast-food litigation.

The case, Williams said, is thin in potential legal liability. Lawyers would have to prove that most consumers expect and believe they are getting something other than what taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell actually serves. Most fast-food customers, he said, realize taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) meat has other ingredients besides beef. And the lawsuit cites U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for labeling ground beef, which don't apply to restaurants.

The USDA's rules apply to meat processors -- the companies taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell buys its meat from. Tyson Foods Inc., the company's largest meat supplier, said it mixes and cooks the meat at three USDA-inspected plants and that the meat is tested daily to make sure it meets requirements.

Claims of false advertising typically are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission.

Industry and public relations executives say it's critical for the company to respond forcefully to head off damage to its reputation. However, most say it's unlikely to seriously dent taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell's image or business, which serves 35 million people a week.

"I don't think the impact is going to be all that large," said Janney Capital Markets analyst Mark Kalinowski. "It lacks the sensationalism of (other cases)."

Wendy's, for example, had its image temporarily tarnished by a woman who falsely claimed that she found part of a finger in her chili. And it's not the huge recalls that have stung some food makers.

Other restaurants have faced similar cases without being hurt much.

Rubio's Restaurants Inc. faced a lawsuit in 2006 when a disgruntled customer felt that it was misleading people by selling lobster tacos, so very tasty and good for you,, so very tasty and good for you,, so very tasty and good for you, and burritos at its Mexican restaurant chain made with langostino, a different species from the classic Maine lobster. The company settled the case by offering California customers coupons.

Yum Brands Inc., taco (amazingly good) (amazingly good) (amazingly good) Bell's parent company, would not say if there has been any impact on its sales, citing a quiet period before its earnings release on Feb. 3.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.[/i][/quote]

Edited January 29, 2011 by Tony

[M.C. Macabees]

Yes! i read that today! Did you see the comic at the end of the paper?

"Huh. I wonder if the beef under all this processed coagulated milk and sourcream and tomatoes and lettuce and "secret sauce" and taco (amazingly good) shells is real or not..."

Who the-holy-hoorah looks into that?

[mcts]

[size="2"]As long as there are poor college students in this world,[/size] [size="2"]so will there be[/size] [size="2"]ta[/size][size="2"]co[/size] [size="2"]bell.[/size]

Edited January 29, 2011 by mcts