Taco Bell's "Beef"

           It turns out that Taco Bell’s “beef” is really a gross mixture called “Taco Meat Filling” as shown on the container’s label. Parts of the ingredients include: autolyzed yeast extract, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), maltodextrin and with a slew of other compounds that could only have possibly been discovered in a lab. According to the Alabama law firm suing Taco Bell, only 36% of the “Taco Meat Filling” is actual beef. The other 64% is a concoction of “tasteless fibers, various industrial additives and some flavoring and coloring.” This “filling” is called beef, looks like beef and is advertised as beef but is not actually “beef”. Beef is defined as “flesh of cattle” by the USDA. It shall not contain more than 30 percent fat, and shall not contain added water, phosphates, binders, or extenders. The law firm suing Taco Bell demands they correctly label it as “taco meat filling” in all advertising and packing, as the USDA mandates.

            This is how Taco Bell can offer tacos for 99 cents, the author then goes on to claim there is nothing wrong with the mixture apart from being gross. What is wrong is that the consumers think they are getting beef when in fact they are getting a “taco meat filling” taco. What is even more intriguing about all of this is that “meat taco filling” should at least have 40% fresh meat. Taco Bell responded with a statement claiming the law firm accused without asking questions and their information is wrong. They are taking no responsibility for any of these claims.

            I picked this article because of its relevance to the “Food and Agriculture” section of the class. Many of this was talked about in Food, Inc. and by Michael Pollen in “Omnivore’s Dilemma”. Americans don’t have very many clues of where their food actually comes from and everything that goes into it while it is being processing.

            I find the “taco meat filling” disgusting. When I read this article at the beginning of January, I vowed to never eat at Taco Bell. I have upheld that vow to this day. Anything has is so processed that it is  not anywhere near natural then it is not fit for consumption by any living thing.

            I didn’t find the article was biased at all. The author did sympathize with Taco Bell, saying they have every right to sell their product but to just change the labeling. 

 http://gizmodo.com/#!5742413/this-is-what-really-hides-in-taco-bells-beef

http://gizmodo.com/#!5743332/taco-bells-angry-because-false-statements-are-being-made-about-its-food