# How much money does Taco Bell lose on hot sauce packets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264 "2009-01-07T19:31:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/21 "2009-01-07T22:48:55Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > Why don’t you ask them how many you can buy with a $2 bill? That might cause the end of civilization as we know it. Or, at least cause a visit from security. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/22 "2009-01-07T23:10:33Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Isn’t the point of artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose that they impart no calories when eaten? Wouldn’t glucose have calories comparable to sucrose? The FDA permits a substance that has fewer than 5 calories to call that “no calories.” Since there’s about a gram of dextrose in a package, and since a gram of sugar yields about 4 calories, they’re within their rights to claim zero calories. Not exactly accurate, but close enough for government work, as they say. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/23 "2009-01-07T23:36:48Z")
Why can’t I buy something like Taco Bell hot sauce in the grocery store? I can find various forms of relatively chunky salsa, I can get tabasco type hot sauces, but I can never find a mexican-style hot sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/24 "2009-01-07T23:40:56Z")
When I worked at Wendys in the 80s they tracked costs by category like meat, paper, bread, vegetables, and so on. I guess the hot sauce would go under other food. They tried to keep each category to a certain percent of sales. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/25 "2009-01-07T23:46:21Z")
> [@mks57](#): > > When you buy hot sauce in tanker cars, I don’t think cost is a problem. Don’t forget the cost of filling up all those little packets. I wouldn’t be surprised if the labor and packaging doubles or even triples the final cost. This is surely why I’ve seen some restaurants (not drive-thrus) which have large containers of condiments that you ladle into your own little cup. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/26 "2009-01-07T23:47:55Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I live in Chicago and since 1995 a lot (but not all) of the Taco Bells, drive through or walk in limit you to two sauces per item and charge you for more… Interesting. I’ve never seen a Taco Bell without large bins full of packets for the taking. The quotes they print on them now indicate they expect your glove box to be full of them (along with a healthy supply of sporks). It’s like free advertising. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/27 "2009-01-07T23:50:50Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > Don’t forget the cost of filling up all those little packets. I wouldn’t be surprised if the labor and packaging doubles or even triples the final cost. I rather doubt it. They’re filled up by high-speed machinery at rates up to 1000/minute or more. They showed the process on _How It’s Made_, and it’s just a blur at normal speed. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/28 "2009-01-08T00:01:14Z")
> [@riker1384](#): > > Why can’t I buy something like Taco Bell hot sauce in the grocery store? I can find various forms of relatively chunky salsa, I can get tabasco type hot sauces, but I can never find a mexican-style hot sauce. I’m not sure where you are, but the hot sauce is available in a bottle. [Here](http://www.meijergroceryexpress.com/Catalog/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=2840008131(GEBase)), for example, is a listing for it at Meijer, a midwestern grocery chain, although I prefer not to buy fast food brands in the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/29 "2009-01-08T00:02:38Z")
You can find it at Von’s or Stater Bros. stores if you live out West. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/30 "2009-01-08T00:46:35Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > Why don’t you ask them how many you can buy with a $2 bill? Think that would cause their head to asplode. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/31 "2009-01-08T01:15:19Z")
> [@riker1384](#): > > Why can’t I buy something like Taco Bell hot sauce in the grocery store? I can find various forms of relatively chunky salsa, I can get tabasco type hot sauces, but I can never find a mexican-style hot sauce. I think what you are looking for is what is usually called “taco sauce” in the supermarket. It’s similar to hot sauce, but just a little bit thicker. [Ortega](http://www.ortega.com/products/taco_sauce.asp) makes it, as do plenty of other “Mexican food” brands. For something like Taco Bell’s “hot” or “fire” sauces, you’d just get one of the hotter brands. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/32 "2009-01-08T02:03:13Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Interesting. I’ve never seen a Taco Bell without large bins full of packets for the taking. The quotes they print on them now indicate they expect your glove box to be full of them (along with a healthy supply of sporks). It’s like free advertising. I was on the NW side of Chicago and the NW suburbs. I have seen some Taco Bells that have the bins with the sauce, but I’ve run across others with no bins. I have seen McDonalds too, some have bins with Ketchup packets and some have the ketchup stations with the little cups. Which they SHRUNK in size so you just have to take more. For the sugar substititue I was referring to the generic version of Sweet 'N Low is about $2.00/50 packets. But at Starbucks they have the actual BRAND of Sweet 'N Low and the actual brand of Equal and Splenda, not the generic equivilents. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/33 "2009-01-08T03:15:15Z")
> [@CC](#): > > The FDA permits a substance that has fewer than 5 calories to call that “no calories.” Since there’s about a gram of dextrose in a package, and since a gram of sugar yields about 4 calories, they’re within their rights to claim zero calories. Not exactly accurate, but close enough for government work, as they say. Well, what’s the nutritional advantage of using artificial sweeteners over sugar, then? Is this just a big scam? Or do the sugar packets contain more grams? ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/34 "2009-01-08T03:41:38Z")
Christ, I can’t even get my taco bell to give me a fricken _napkin_, let alone multiple sauce packets. Consider yourself lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/35 "2009-01-08T04:19:33Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Christ, I can’t even get my taco bell to give me a fricken _napkin_, let alone multiple sauce packets. Consider yourself lucky. Taco Bell has napkins? Can I ask for a cite in GQ? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/36 "2009-01-08T05:12:11Z")
> [@SCSimmons](#): > > Well, what’s the nutritional advantage of using artificial sweeteners over sugar, then? Is this just a big scam? Or do the sugar packets contain more grams? [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_packet) says that a typical packet of sugar weighs 4 grams and has 15 calories. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/37 "2009-01-08T05:22:23Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Interesting. I’ve never seen a Taco Bell without large bins full of packets for the taking. The quotes they print on them now indicate they expect your glove box to be full of them (along with a healthy supply of sporks). It’s like free advertising. There may indeed be an element of “free advertising.” The OP throws out his extra packets, but many times they wind up in the glove compartment or a kitchen drawer or canister. So you grab a few to use on some other food, and start thinking “Taco Bell.” ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/38 "2009-01-08T05:22:49Z")
The “Fire” sauce is heavily subsidized by the research arm of Pfizer. Don’t ask. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/39 "2009-01-08T06:11:34Z")
> [@SCSimmons](#): > > Well, what’s the nutritional advantage of using artificial sweeteners over sugar, then? Is this just a big scam? Or do the sugar packets contain more grams? Plus, the stuff in sugar packets is sucrose, which is (roughly speaking) twice as complex and thus energy-packing as glucose. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2009, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264/40 "2009-01-08T09:37:51Z")
> [@Vox\_Imperatoris](#): > > Plus, the stuff in sugar packets is sucrose, which is (roughly speaking) twice as complex and thus energy-packing as glucose. > > Valete, > Vox Imperatoris What? Cite? I’d pretty much always understood that 4 cal/gram was universal for sugars or carbohydrates in general, regardless of ‘complexity.’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-money-does-taco-bell-lose-on-hot-sauce-packets/480264.md?page=3)