Have you seen the story? A lawyer in Alabama is suing Taco Bell for false advertising. The law firm claims that Taco Bell’s “Seasoned Ground Beef” is less than 40% beef.
The USDA has rules about labeling. In order to be labeled by the USDA as “ground beef”, a product must have 30% or less fat and have no water, binders, extenders, or phosphates added.
If it’s true, then Taco Bell is really selling “beef flavored tacos”. I knew Taco Bell wasn’t healthy or good but I didn’t know it was that bad!
Taco Bell hit back today, countersuing. A statement issued by Taco Bell president Greg Creed says:
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
The ingredients, as listed on the Taco Bell website this morning for Seasoned Ground Beef:
Beef, Water, Seasoning [Isolated Oat Product, Salt, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Oats (Wheat), Soy Lecithin, Sugar, Spices, Maltodextrin, Soybean Oil (Anti-dusting Agent), Garlic Powder, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Silicon Dioxide, Natural Flavors, Yeast, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Smoke Flavor], Salt, Sodium Phosphates. CONTAINS SOYBEAN, WHEAT
Ingredients are listed in order of volume. Since when is an “anti-dusting agent” a seasoning? Just FYI Autolyzed Yeast Extract is MSG. Caramel color? I guess all that isolated oat product is what gives Taco Bell meat its “signature texture”.
I’m not sure how the product can be labeled ground beef since it does contain water, fillers, and phosphates. It would be different, maybe, if the meat was cooked at the restaurant and then the spice blend added. But this is all prepackaged as “seasoned ground beef”.
I checked out Taco Bell’s other meat products just for kicks.
The Steak:
Beef, Water, Seasoning [Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Carrageenan, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Spices, Hot Sauce (Aged Red Peppers, Vinegar, Salt), Citric Acid, Sugar, Dehydrated Vinegar, Soybean Oil, Natural Flavors, Soybean Lecithin], Sodium Phosphates. Sauce: Water, Seasoning (Salt, Caramel Color, Modified Food Starch, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Garlic Powder, Xanthan Gum, Onion Powder, Beef Stock, Vinegar Solids, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Sugar, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Succinic Acid, Soy Lecithin, Beef Fat, Potassium Sorbate) Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, BHT. CONTAINS SOYBEANS
Yep, they add caramel color to the steak, too. Why would you need to add partially hydrogenated soybean oil to steak? MSG (in the form of autolyzed yeast extract) is added to the meat and the seasoning. BHT is butylhydroxytoluene, a petroleum based preservative that is added to food to make it shelf stable. It’s also added to jet fuel and is used as embalming fluid. Yum!
Here’s the Southwest Chicken
Chicken Breast Meat With Rib Meat, Water, Seasoning [Salt, Maltodextrin, Spices, Garlic Powder, Chili Pepper, Paprika, Onion Powder, Carrageenan, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Natural Flavoring, Mixed Triglycerides, Yeast, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Syrup Solids, Yeast Extract, Alginates (Sodium, Calcium And/Or Ammonium), Cellulose, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate Used To Protect Quality, Not More Than 2% Silicon Dioxide Added To Prevent Caking, Soybean Oil], Modified Food Starch, Sodium Phosphates Soy Lecithin (Used As A Processing Aid). CONTAINS SOYBEANS
Oh goody, this one comes with corn syrup solids and sodium benzoate.
And the “Nacho Cheese Sauce”, used in some of the burritos as well as the nachos, has more canola oil and food starch than cheese. And oh yes, the cheese sauce has that same autolyzed yeast extract, and yellow #6, too.
Cheese Whey, Nonfat Milk, Canola Oil, Modified Food Starch, Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Natural Flavor, Maltodextrin, Salt, Jalapeño Puree, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Caseinate, Vinegar, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Lactic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Color Added (Including FD&C Yellow #6), Citric Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate. CONTAINS MILK
Maybe we should start drinking MeatWater instead. It can’t be worse.
Sometimes the drive-thru is unavoidable. What do you think the healthiest option is when you have to grab a quick bite without getting out of the car?
Karen (1)
Raso @ lasagnarec... (1)
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d probably guess the best drive thrus are Chick Fila (since you can get a grilled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun, a fruit cup) or, if you want a burger, probably Wendys or White Castle, but I’m no expert.
We’ve been going to Arby’s. Their roast beef is, at least, beef (watch out for colors in their cheese sauce/melts though). The buns have HFCS though. I’m kind of scared of fast food hamburgers after reading about how meat is ground- I only buy meat at the store that is ground on site now! Food Inc. and the pink slime/ammonia McDonald’s story keeps me scared straight (well, mostly.)
Being disgusted helps me eat healthier, who knew?
I’m in agreement with Arby’s. Lion’s Choice, too. Those and Chick-Fil-A are pretty much the only fast food that I’ll let the kid eat. And Culver’s. I feel like their burger is higher quality than the rest. So please don’t break my heart by telling me otherwise. I did however, eat some Nachos Bell Grande yesterday… (*hangs head in shame*)
I made husband make a run for the border last week, too. We don’t eat fast food often (but it’s been a lot “oftener” since we’ve both been not-quite-mobile!)
In CO there was a chain called Good Times that (back then) used all-natural Coleman beef. I don’t know if they still do but that was a good hamburger and not crazy expensive, either.
I’m scared right out of Taco Bell’s drive thru line.
I like Chick-Fil-A for quick meals, although not through the drive thru very often. I can’t get refills on my sweet tea like that, and that’s half the fun. The other half is seeing how many times they say “My pleasure.”
Sorry. My train of thought derailed.
I like Chick-Fil-A’s lemonade because it’s made with lemons and sugar. No powders, no HFCS.
Wow! Why do I keep thinking there should be more identifiable food in the food people eat? This makes me glad that we haven’t had anything from Taco Bell in about five years. I just wish I owed that more to healthy eating by choice and less to allergy problems and other food issues, though.
Wow! This information scared me from eating at Taco Bell again. Wheat in the so-called “meat”? And soy and MSG? All things my body does not like. We often stopped at Taco Bell when we were on the road because I can’t eat sandwiches (no wheat), and I thought the tacos were a safe alternative. Wrong! Wonder what is in the taco meat at Subway? That’s our other favorite stop when traveling. Where would a person find the details about the contents of Subway’s meat?
My Subways don’t have tacos! I couldn’t find taco meat info, but I found meatball info:
MEATBALLS Beef, water, seasoning (soy protein concentrate, breadcrumbs [bleached wheat flour, sugar, salt, soybean oil, dried yeast], dehydrated onion and garlic, salt, spice, dehydrated parsley, caramel color), Romano cheese (made from pasteurized cow’s milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), caramel color. Marinara Sauce: tomatoes, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, soybean oil, modified food starch, salt, dehydrated onions, spices, onion powder. Contains milk, soy, and wheat.
Arrggh, more with the soy, soy, soy. And HFCS, say it ain’t so!
Here is the complete list of Subway ingredients:
http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/menunutrition/Nutrition/frmUsIngredients.aspx
Even the roast beef contains corn syrup.
It appears that soy free and MSG free Subway meats are: Cold Cut Combo, roast beef, and bacon- that’s it. All of the breads have soybean oil.
The turkey breast is browned in soybean oil, so maybe you could peel the edges off?
Here’s a chart of allergens and it includes soy AND autolyzed/hydrolyzed protein as categories:
http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/MenuNutrition/Nutrition/pdf/AllergenChart.pdf
The first ingredient in the regular mayo is soybean oil (so the tuna salad is out.) And the eggs/omelettes for the breakfast are cooked with soybean oil too.
I’m guessing that you get the salads, not the sandwiches because you can’t eat bread?
Fat Free Honey Mustard and Fat Free Sweet Onion don’t have MSG or soybean oil. Red Wine Vinaigrette doesn’t either but it has food dyes, as does the banana peppers, jalapenos, pickles, and shredded cheese.
You could always just get a sugar cookie- that’s pretty straight forward (flour, sugar, oil, butter flavor, baking soda, whey, salt.) LOL!
Chipotle doesn’t do drive-thrus but they are the most “real food” around (even their pork is hormone/antibiotic free).
Hmm my other stop that I think of as “healthy” is Boston Market. Do I dare try to find out what’s in their food? Love me some meatloaf sliders- they’re my big exception to my ground beef pickiness.
If you have ever had their food, you can tell it’s not meat, it has the texture of wet saw dust. Mmmm the proprietary Taco Bell texture! And they way they talk about the it as “the SIGNATURE texture” like it’s a good thing.
I can’t do school today, a bunch of kids down with a stomach bug. The thought of Taco Bell beef flavored stuffing makes me gag. I have seen way too much vomit in the last day and a half!
Still, thamks for getting the word out!
And something I forgot to mention! Good Times is STILL around, still awesome and still making real lemonade and burgers with Coleman natural beef. It is a little more expensive than say Mc Donald’s but is so much better tasting and healthier.
Also – sorry for typing while nursing. My previous post was littered with typos. Probably this one, too.
Instead of stopping at just any fast food restaurant, wouldn’t it be smarter(not to mention cheaper) to bring a small ice box and fill it up with healthy snacks like home made sandwiches and crudites?
Probably, but doesn’t always happen especially if things take longer than we think it will or we make unexpected stops. I do pack snacks if I know we’ll be out, but sometimes we just have to catch something on the fly.
I do highly recommend going to grocery stores for dinner/meals if you are traveling long trips and have time to get out of the car. Healthier, plus everyone can stretch their legs and hit the bathroom.
My DH LOVES the lemonade at Chick Fil A. When I want something, I’ll buy him a gallon of lemonade.
I know the food itself isn’t that great, but at least it makes me feel better than Taco Bell. And Chipotle is darn tasty, but also darn expensive. It was $40 for the 4 of us to eat.
I can’t recall the last time I frequented Taco Belch, but we have eaten at Chic-fil-a the last two nights. My husband is away this week and the dishwasher is broken, leaving me to wash dishes for 7 after every meal. Usually I drop the girls off at ballet and my husband picks them up on his way home, but I’ve had to drop them off, entertain the others at the public library for an hour and pick them back up afterwards. Fast food was the only way I could stay sane. Our routine has been to swing through the Burger king drive thru for 2 plain cheeseburgers and sit down in Chic-fil-a with 6 chocolate milks, 2 large fries, 2 nugget boxes, and a sandwich for me. Fast food is not on our usual agenda, but this week it has been a real help.
Whoa! We don’t eat much fast food around here but I thought that getting a bean and rice burrito was a safe bet at taco bell i knew enough to stay away from the “meat” and I am sad about subway as well. That was my go to fast food when on the road. I got the whole wheat bread, loaded with veggies.
i enjoy Chipotle and Panera as my go to fast food places. But both can be hard to find on the road. Any suggestions on where to eat during long road trips?
Thanks for the info on Subway. I only eat the salads there (usually the tuna, hmmm, maybe not again), but a Mexican chain restaurant is associated with them at all our Arizona Subways, so one can either do Subway or Mexican. And I often get the tacos, but now I’m not so sure I will again! And I’ve forgotten the name of the Mexican chain so no way to check, I guess, until I get back there to identify it.
I take snacks in the car with me, even if I’m the only one. First, it just isn’t in the budget to hit the drive threw and second, there isn’t much on the menus that is good for anyone. Give me a green smoothie any day!
Eat only burgers from Sonic or Whataburger (throw away the bun and wrap the rest in lettuce). Those are the only fast foods we eat. Panera is more of a restaurant to me, rather than a fast food. They are upfront with ingredients and nutritional info. I never warmed up to ChickFill-A, but realize if that’s the only thing when we are on the road..oh well. I always take snacks and fruit and protein drinks when we are traveling. After Food Inc and an article in the NYT about an e-coli victim, I will never buy frozen burger patties and hope to never eat them, but how can you be sure when you go to someone else’s house? We have cook- outs at church and I never *grilled* them about where they got the beef. I’m still amazed that in a country of 300M+ we aren’t all sick all of the time from food poisoning.
Oh my gosh this is disgusting. I hate Taco Bell and think its so gross except when I’m pregnant! it’s awful. FOr some reason it sounds and taste sooo good to me when I’m pregnant, but then after the thought of it just makes me want to gag!
S
Say it isn’t so. Say it isn’t so.
Cheeseburger Charlies doesn’t have a drive through but I like their burgers. They hand make the patties out of 100% angus beef, while you watch. Can’t say if its grass fed though. They also do veggie burgers if thats your thing. I too love Panera bread. In reality though unless its from my kitchen I dont really trust anything. On the rare occasion I succumb, I try to stick to these places.
We are blessed with a local fast food chain “Burgerville” that buys as much as possible from local sources. They take a great care in their process as well. I’m sure they still have various additives, but a lot less if they are advertising the ranch / farm they got the product from!
Aside from that, we go with Arby’s. Or Subway (just to avoid the deep fried factor, but I’m sure the lunch meats are filled with stuff).
I was told that by soaking uncooked meat (like chicken) in warm water and then pouring salt in the water, you can clean and purify meat. I want to know if this is true. Thanks…
I don’t think that’s true. It’s called brining and it makes the meat tastier and juicier, but I don’t think it purifies it.
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