# Taco Bell meat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747 "2003-05-31T08:20:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mr.splitfoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@mr.splitfoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.splitfoot)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/1 "2003-05-31T08:20:07Z")
I’ve heard that Taco Bell meat is all soy. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/2 "2003-05-31T10:16:09Z")
Here is an interesting [Taco Bell FAQ](http://www.csh.rit.edu/~gentry/TBNet/faq.html) that even has a link to nutritional and ingredient information. Here is a site for[fast food information for vegans and vegetarians](http://nashville.earthsave.org/fastfood.htm). However, as to the rumour that the meat is in fact soy, I’ve not been able to find anything of this nature. The closest was that there is GM soy in the shells made by Kraft for Taco Bell… Perhaps some other Google expert can provide more info. Hope this is helpful for now. ---
**Author:** ![carbysgrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@carbysgrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carbysgrl)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/3 "2003-05-31T13:13:28Z")
I used to work at taco bell and its real hamburger but they add a can of taco seasoning and its kind of like tomatoe paste. Its what adds all the flavor. Believe me. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/4 "2003-06-02T00:32:30Z")
I’m pretty sure it’d be illegal for them to call something a “beef burrito” or a “chicken taco” if it contained all soy and no actuall beef or chicken. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/5 "2003-06-02T00:38:17Z")
Why would Taco Bell use a more expensive subsitute for meat? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/6 "2003-06-02T00:40:47Z")
urban legend. Every fast food chain has some ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/7 "2003-06-02T01:02:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kat \* > \*\*I’m pretty sure it’d be illegal for them to call something a “beef burrito” or a “chicken taco” if it contained all soy and no actuall beef or chicken. \*\* Never had Grape-Nuts cereal, eh? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/8 "2003-06-02T01:44:19Z")
6-7 years ago, a former cow orker told me that meat sold wholesale as “taco filling” actually contained a substantial percentage of chicken gizzard; frankly I think it’s more likely that Wendy’s hamburgers contain earthworms :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![hobbes730](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/97f17d/32.png) [@hobbes730](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobbes730)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/9 "2003-06-02T01:53:27Z")
I heard this is why Dairy-Queen can’t actually call their hamburgers hamburgers - they’re all “Hungr-busters” or “Belt-busters” or something like that, cause they’re mostly soy, or maybe just not beef. Sounds like any urban legend…anybody know the truth behind this? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/10 "2003-06-02T02:27:55Z")
Nope, 100% beef. [http://www.dairyqueen.com/content/brand\_menu/nutrition/NutritionBrazier.pdf](http://www.dairyqueen.com/content/brand_menu/nutrition/NutritionBrazier.pdf) Beef is fairly cheap, there’s no need to substitute. ---
**Author:** ![Severian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Severian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severian)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/11 "2003-06-02T03:34:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hobbes730 \* > \*\*I heard this is why Dairy-Queen can’t actually call their hamburgers hamburgers - they’re all “Hungr-busters” or “Belt-busters” or something like that, cause they’re mostly soy, or maybe just not beef. > > Sounds like any urban legend…anybody know the truth behind this? \*\* The Dairy Queen I go to calls them hamburgers. In fact, there was a story on the news not to long ago about them switching to irradiated beef for safety. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/12 "2003-06-02T16:50:28Z")
Here is a _[Top Secret Recipe](http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/recipes/tbelmix1.htm)_ for Taco Bell meat seasoning. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bell-meat/178747/13 "2003-06-02T18:28:57Z")
It’s not soy. I’ve never had soy-based “taco meat” that tasted at all realistic. If it were soy, it’d be pretty cool, but it’s not. The soy-based “ground beef” i’ve had has always tasted like scrambled eggs. Really shitty scrambled eggs.