The fast-food giant is being called out for the less than 35 percent beef used in their tacos and burritos. However, Taco Bell is fighting back saying they use 88 percent, plus a secret ingredient, in these “truth ads.”
The USDA and HHS released the pentennial report with new nutritional recommendations for Americans. Included is direction for consuming less sodium, sugar and saturated fat, and consuming more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
When you make food at home, you can control the ingredients and the portions. Try some of these ideas and recipes for serving healthier Super Bowl favorites at your party. Read Full Post >
In response to the lawsuit filed by a Montgomery law firm claiming that their seasoned beef contains less than 35 percent actual meat, Taco Bell is firing back with full-page “Truth” ads. The full-page print ads ran in newspapers around the country, with the provocative headline “Thank you for suing us.” The ads claim to tell the real truth about the beef used in Taco Bell’s tacos, burritos and other items, insisting that their seasoned beef contains 88 percent beef and 12 percent “Secret Recipe.”
The secret recipe isn’t so secret (as the ad also points out), and the ingredients in that 12 percent are also printed in the ad. Taco Bell says these extra ingredients add flavor, and “enhance” the product. We’re still leery of the number of additives in the beef alone, not to mention the taco shell and toppings.
A Montgomery, Alabama, law firm filed suit against Taco Bell, arguing that the fast food chain is guilty of false adverting when they reference “seasoned beef” and “seasoned ground beef” in their food. According to the Plaintiffs, the meat mixture found in Taco Bells products is so full of binders, extenders and other additives that it does not qualify for the minimum standards set by U.S. Department of Agriculture to carry the label “beef.”
The class-action lawsuit was filed on Friday in federal in the Central District of California. The law firm, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles does not seek monetary damages, but wants Taco Bell to accurately represent it products. “We are asking that they stop saying that they are selling beef,” said Attorney Dee Miles. Miles further said that the firm had Taco Bell’s meat mixture tested, and found it to only contain 35 percent beef.
Tacos don’t have to be unhealthy. You can make healthy tacos with low-fat beef or turkey, lots of healthy veggies and beans, and whole wheat tortillas. But Taco Bell‘s effort to top the XXL Chalupa with reduced-fat sour cream isn’t enough to turn this monster into something that’s good for you.
This taco boat is loaded up with 650 calories worth of ground beef, “red strips,” nacho cheese sauce and three cheese blend–and a minimal amount of salsa and lettuce. The mysterious “red strips” are pretty much strips of corn chip that have been pumped full of artificially coloring. The XXL chalupa is basically a regular Taco Bell chalupa, only on a flatbread that’s about 50 percent bigger with additional filling.
It’s one thing when a restaurant like Subway comes out with a “diet plan” (thanks to customer Jared Fogle) when the stores are stocked with fresh vegetables, whole grain breads and lean meats. It’s quite another when fast-food giant Taco Bell announces their own version.
At the entrance of 2010, just as everyone was scrambling to make their weight loss resolutions, Taco Bell announced its new Drive-Thru Diet, based on its Fresco menu.
The “star” of the new Drive-Thru Diet is Christine, a woman who lost 54 pounds in two years by reducing her calorie intake by 500 calories a day, as well as her fat intake. Her very brief story from the Taco Bell Web site leaves much to be desired, being nothing more than a paragraph echoing the copy from full-page magazine ads. She reduced her calories and one vice she didn’t want to give up was fast-food, so she started ordering from Taco Bell’s Fresco menu instead of the traditional menu. Read Full Post >
