# Taco Bell's Ground Beef Is Less Than 35% Actual Meat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875 "2011-01-25T03:09:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/201 "2011-01-29T18:51:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Nobody goes to TB looking for a gourmet meal-they want cheap, filling, fast food-and that is what they get. Aside: I once read an interview with physicist Murray Gell-Mann. The interview was over lunch, and Gell-Mann had suggested that they try a new Mexican place downtown that he’d heard was pretty good. It turned out to be Taco Bell. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/202 "2011-01-29T19:15:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Aside: I once read an interview with physicist Murray Gell-Mann. The interview was over lunch, and Gell-Mann had suggested that they try a new Mexican place downtown that he’d heard was pretty good. It turned out to be Taco Bell. And let me guess. When the food arrived, someone said “who ordered THAT?” ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/203 "2011-01-29T19:25:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Aside: I once read an interview with physicist Murray Gell-Mann. The interview was over lunch, and Gell-Mann had suggested that they try a new Mexican place downtown that he’d heard was pretty good. It turned out to be Taco Bell. I’m going to start doing that when friends drop in. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/204 "2011-01-29T20:16:14Z")
I just have to add that if anyone here is the least bit squicked about less than great ingredients, do not ever eat fish sticks. Ever. Stick to the fish fillets. Fish sticks are indeed made of minced pollock. Including the eyeballs, bones and other bits that are trimmed off the filets. Just a heads-up in case there was anyone left who didnt know that. Cite: 6 months on a production line on a fisher-trawler. P.S. Ad another 6 months on crab processors for the cite on ‘Don’t eat fake krab, either, if you don’t want ground up crab bodies/shells, since that is what is used for flavoring’. I’m _pretty_ sure none of that is news by now, but just in case. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/205 "2011-01-29T20:23:35Z")
What is an actual and how does one get meat from it? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/206 "2011-01-29T22:04:21Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Like I said above, I don’t eat Taco Bell, because I think it tastes like shit, but that’s a complete misrepresentation of their defense. Frankly, even though I’ve been defending them throughout this thread, I’m shocked that their ground beef product is 88% beef. That’s a good bit higher than I would have guessed. > > So it’s more of a “our food is a lot better than you think” defense, if anything. “Hey, our food may be shit, but it’s OUR shit, and we take PRIDE in the quality of our shit! This shit is made from only the finest ingredients, and we even added some fiber to it to get the texture of our shit right for you! That’s some good shit!”😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/207 "2011-01-29T22:18:14Z")
The meat hose is clogged. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/208 "2011-01-29T23:07:52Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The old “everybody already knows our food us shit” defense. A bit more the old “this lawsuit is bullshit and we’re calling them out on it because our beef is 85% beef and not 35% and we should know because we fucking make it, call our bluff if you have the stones you goddamn cunts” defense but I guess whatever works for you. Thinking Taco Bell is shit no matter what their beef percentage is is fine, it’s a matter of taste. I know they aren’t good Mexican food. I know they aren’t really Mexican food at all, I live in Texas, real Mexican food is all over the place. They’re Taco Bell, kind of their own category. But they’re right, right now, and that’s kinda the whole point of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/209 "2011-01-29T23:27:49Z")
Any legal beagles here wanna give their two cents on whether the Alabama Law firm is in any legal deep shit? I am generally not a big fan of big corps giving somebody the legal smackdown, but in this case I think I could make an exception. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/210 "2011-01-30T04:16:41Z")
> [@Terraplane](#): > > A bit more the old “this lawsuit is bullshit and we’re calling them out on it because our beef is 85% beef and not 35% and we should know because we fucking make it, call our bluff if you have the stones you goddamn cunts” defense but I guess whatever works for you. Forgive the nitpick, but their beef is 100% beef. The plaintiff’s position is basically that since the beef comes in a sauce advertising copy that (for example) describes a taco as “a crunchy taco shell filled with seasoned ground beef, crisp fresh lettuce and real cheddar cheese” is deceptive in the same way that labeling an admixture of beef and some other substance as filler as “ground beef” and offering it for sale in the meat department would be, citing legislation which applies to raw meat products. Of course, no consumer is going to order a taco and have an expectation that it’s going to be filled with just beef and spices, and a great many (although arguably not the better ones) home recipes for taco filling are going to yield a product that is substantially the same as Taco Bell’s formula, relying on starches to make the sauce more “saucy.” It’s hard to credit that they actually believe the case has any teeth, since none of the regulations they cite have application to food services. Their stated aim of forcing Taco Bell to change the nomenclature used on their promotional materials is bizarre: “a crunchy taco shell filled with taco meat filling” is redundant - this term makes no sense outside of the context of packaged goods. People who only read headlines would receive the impression that the meat itself is pretty much ersatz meat, which is pretty damaging and looks to be completely groundless. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/211 "2011-01-30T05:06:27Z")
Yeah, I don’t even like Taco Bell, but it’s not based upon the quality of the food, it’s based on I don’t care much for Mexican and Tex-Mex food. But right now, this looks like a case of someone smearing Taco Bell’s name, and frankly things look solidly in Taco Bell’s favor. That test that found only “35% beef” will have to have the details spilled in court and the actual results handed over, and Taco Bell will be able to parade in its own band of experts to discuss the findings and what they mean and don’t mean, as well as their own analysis, and their production practices. So far what we have seen is they buy 100% ground beef from Tyson foods, they process that to add spices and texture enhancers to make “taco meat filling” that they claim is 88% beef, then ship that to the restaurants to use in a variety of their food products including the tacos. In other news, I just found out my spaghetti with meat sauce is full of fillers like _gasp_ tomatos. OH THE HUMANITY! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/212 "2011-01-30T05:49:03Z")
Quoth **Taomist** : > [@](#): > > P.S. Ad another 6 months on crab processors for the cite on ‘Don’t eat fake krab, either, if you don’t want ground up crab bodies/shells, since that is what is used for flavoring’. I for one am in fact quite surprised by that, as I had no idea that “krab” had any actual part of the crab in it whatsoever. I thought it was just bottom-quality whitefish with red food coloring on one side. And **billfish678** , so far as I know, nobody said that, but your post 202 had me absolutely guffawing. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/213 "2011-01-30T06:06:05Z")
Great, now I’m craving Taco Bell, the nearest one is a half mile away, I don’t have a car, and it’s cold out. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/214 "2011-01-30T07:48:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Quoth **Taomist** :I for one am in fact quite surprised by that, as I had no idea that “krab” had any actual part of the crab in it whatsoever. I thought it was just bottom-quality whitefish with red food coloring on one side. > > And **billfish678** , so far as I know, nobody said that, but your post 202 had me absolutely guffawing. Lots of sugar, too, surprisingly. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/215 "2011-01-30T14:29:08Z")
What was that Sylvester Stallone movie, where he wakes up 100 years in the future…and the only restaurant in LA is a Taco bell? That thought occured to me-Taco bell as fine dining!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/216 "2011-01-30T20:28:42Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > What was that Sylvester Stallone movie, where he wakes up 100 years in the future..and the only restaurant in LA is a Taco bell? > That thought occured to me-Taco bell as fine dining!:eek: “Best damn ratburger I ever had!” Demolition Man. The movie that predicted Arnold Schwarzenegger being elected Governor of California. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/217 "2011-01-30T20:35:13Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > “Best damn ratburger I ever had!” > > Demolition Man. The movie that predicted Arnold Schwarzenegger being elected Governor of California. 😃 Actually, President of the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/218 "2011-01-30T23:07:58Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Actually, President of the United States. Well, the movie hasn’t predicted that _yet._ They said he gained enough popularity to have the Constitution amended to allow him to run for the office because of the time he served as Governor of California. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/219 "2011-01-31T05:04:52Z")
Jumping (stumbling sideways?) into the thread to say that, right now, I would kill for a couple of Burrito Supremes and about 6 packages of hot sauce (half hot and half medium). It’s my albatross and I bear it gladly. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875/220 "2011-02-01T01:48:37Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Well, the movie hasn’t predicted that _yet._ They said he gained enough popularity to have the Constitution amended to allow him to run for the office because of the time he served as Governor of California. > [@From IMDB](#): > > Lenina Huxley: I have, in fact, perused some newsreels in the Schwarzenegger Library, and the time that you took that car… > JohnSpartan: Hold it. The Schwarzenegger Library? > Lenina Huxley: Yes. The Schwarzenegger Presidential Library. Wasn’t he an actor when you…? > JohnSpartan: Stop! He was President? > Lenina Huxley: Yes! Even though he was not born in this country, his popularity at the time caused the 61st Amendment which states… > JohnSpartan: I don’t wanna know. President… From [here](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106697/quotes). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taco-bells-ground-beef-is-less-than-35-actual-meat/568875.md?page=12)