Taco Bell: Where's the Beef?

Whole grain tacos, lol nt (4.00 / 3)

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Tue Jan 25, 2011 at 22:54:35 PM UTC

I'm Mad As Hell... (4.00 / 2)

Taco Bell apparently feels aggrieved or somehow wronged by the suit.

Taco Bell plans countersuit over ground beef

Reuters
Posted today at 2:39 p.m.

Taco Bell, a Yum Brands Inc. subsidiary, said Tuesday that it plans to take legal action against the "false statements" being made about its food...Taco Bell's tacos, burritos and other Mexican menu items advertised with beef  contain a filling of mostly non-meat substances such as "isolated oat product," according to the lawsuit filed last week in a California federal court.

Interesting, it isn't just the stuff in tacos. The headline says "countersuit", but the article only says "legal action", which could be one of any number of things.

Yum! Brands Places Long John Silver's and A&W All-American Restaurants for Sale

In 1998, when Yum! Brands was spun-off from PepsiCo, 22 percent of its profits were sourced internationally. Today, about 65 percent of the Company's profits are from the China and Yum! Restaurants International divisions, and the Company expects that percentage to grow to 75 percent by 2015. In the U.S., Taco Bell accounts for approximately 60 percent of the Company's profits, followed by Pizza Hut and KFC.

Jill linked to an article about "food" sold in the U.S. I wonder what the company sells in China.

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by: count @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 00:05:35 AM UTC

Pizza Hut (4.00 / 2)

.

..has anyone tested their other meats? Or the meat at other fast food joints?

Pregnant question, Jill. What is in the "meat" and "meatballs" on Pizza Hut pizzas? Or for that matter, pizzas at other shops? And how about gyros? The real thing is a fine product in my opinion, but who really knows what is in "gyro meat" across the board?

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by: count @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 00:19:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

According to the wiki (4.00 / 1)

Gyros meat can be lamb, pork, chicken or beef. Depends on where you're getting your gyros - Greece, Cyprus, France (where they sometimes include french fries in the sandwich), Australia, the UK, the USA, Canada, Brazil, etc..

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 02:37:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I've even seen salmon gyros... (0.00 / 0)

A few places here in Portland have had them on the menu.  I haven't tried any, though.

As for me, I'd stick with lamb myself...

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 03:02:42 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

We know what (4.00 / 1)

it's supposed to be. Question is, what is it actually when purveyed by a U.S. junk food corporation? I mean, I thought "beef" was supposed to be "beef"!

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by: count @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 03:03:22 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

We're just old fashioned... (4.00 / 2)

Get with the times, man!  There's a whole new exciting world of beef-like fillers out there, who'd waste time with that old boring stuff from those boring old cows?!

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 03:10:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sells in China... (4.00 / 1)

Remember, people get executed for show in China.  The food over there is probably safer.  I'd be more worried about what they bring over from China, and sell here.

;)

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 02:13:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

show trials (4.00 / 1)

The food over there is probably safer.

Apparently not. A few trials for show as you say, but food laws are not enforced in China. Taco Bell could get away with anything.

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by: count @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 03:09:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

New statement from Taco Bell (4.00 / 2)

Simply deceit.

At Taco Bell, we buy our beef from the same trusted brands you find in the supermarket, like Tyson Foods. We start with 100 percent USDA-inspected beef. Then we simmer it in our proprietary blend of seasonings and spices to give our seasoned beef its signature Taco Bell taste and texture. We are proud of the quality of our beef and identify all the seasoning and spice ingredients on our website. Unfortunately, the lawyers in this case elected to sue first and ask questions later -- and got their "facts" absolutely wrong. We plan to take legal action for the false statements being made about our food.

Greg Creed
President and Chief Concept Officer
Taco Bell Corp.

Seasonings and spices? Is that what they call isolated oat product?

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by: Crider @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 07:07:10 AM UTC

"Trusted brands"... (4.00 / 1)

Like Tyson.  Lol.  When they're not in the midst of one of their annual massive recalls, I guess...

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 07:28:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Unfortunately (4.00 / 2)

for the national chains, they pretty much have to source from companies like Tyson, Cargill, etc., or for further processed products like ground beef, they have to source from companies that source the raw product from the big processors.

It has more to do with sheer volume of product supplied than trust. That's the real problem with national chains.

And as for trusting Tyson as far as food safety, they're inspected and tested like the other processors, and they're probably more heavily inspected than the small slaughter houses and restaurants, food vendors, etc.. However, I've been boycotting Tyson products since the Clinton administration because of their business practices. If it has the Tyson brand, or if I know a company sources from Tyson, I won't buy their product, no matter how good it might be.

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 22:01:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Tyson countersuits... (4.00 / 1)

So correct me if I'm wrong here, but I guess this means their strategy to combat this is to basically string things along until the other guys run out of time, patience and / or money?

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 22:12:13 PM UTC

Errrrmmm... (4.00 / 1)

"Taco Bell / Yum countersuits" I mean, of course...

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 22:33:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

depends... (4.00 / 1)

maybe their "legal action" will consist of having their attorney send a sternly worded letter.

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by: count @ Wed Jan 26, 2011 at 23:00:30 PM UTC

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Some video thoughts (4.00 / 2)

The Onion had something to say about Taco Bell back in 2009.

And here's my favorite Mexican foodie technoshopmex enjoying a real taco in Mexico City. A taco that has so much real animal that it kinda gags me! It's tacos de moronga. Moronga is a sausage made from pigs blood. There's also some chicharones (chitterlings) and other assorted pig's offal, but nothing with oatmeal and soy!

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by: Crider @ Thu Jan 27, 2011 at 01:57:58 AM UTC

TB spokesman (4.00 / 1)

The Taco  Bell spokesman looks a lot like Jim Perdue, more like Jim than Frank.

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by: count @ Thu Jan 27, 2011 at 07:13:46 AM UTC

[ Parent ]