Taco Bell has launched a counteroffensive ad campaign against the lawsuit over the beef content of Taco Bell tacos. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

After a lawsuit was filed against restaurant chain Taco Bell, the company has launched a retaliatory ad campaign. The company is being sued over the beef content of its ground beef mixture. Taco Bell responded with a full page ad in major newspapers denouncing the claims.

Taco Bell responds with ‘Thank you for suing us’

A lawsuit was recently filed in federal court, claiming Taco Bell fraudulently advertised food that the Mexican-cuisine-inspired fast food chain as beef. The Taco Bell corporation has fired back with a broadside in major newspapers, in an open-letter style ad bearing the caption “Thank you for suing us, ” according to CNN. The ad directly references the controversy, and says that if the company only used ground beef, it would taste boring and thus would not “make for great-tasting tacos.” The real mixture, according to the Taco Bell ad, is 88 percent ground beef and 12 percent other “secret ingredients.” The company maintains it uses 3 percent water and adds oats, yeast and caramelized sugar to improve taste.

Lawsuit the taco the town

The lawsuit over the actual beef content in the beef mixture on the Taco Bell menu was filed in California, by the Alabama-based law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles. Testing done by the firm revealed that the beef mixture contained only 35 percent beef, and thus fails to qualify as beef under U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines of what can be advertised as “beef.” The testing methods and facility have not been disclosed, according to MSN.

Holy Molé

False advertising usually is under the regulation of the Federal Trade Commission. However, oat product is used in ground beef mixtures sold in grocery stores and other fast food chains. Parent company of Taco Bell, Yum Brands Inc., has been quiet on the matter, though Taco Bell executive Greg Creed called the accusations “ludicrous” and is reportedly looking into pursuing a countersuit.

Sources

CNN

MSN

Taco Bell “Thank You for Suing Us” ad at Eater.com

Taco bell is being sued for false advertising over the chain's claims that its taco meat is real ground beef. Image: CC othermore (other)/Flickr

Taco Bell taco meat looks like meat, and some people think it tastes like meat, but technically, it isn’t beef. In Taco Bell advertising, food products are described as filled with ground beef, yet Taco Bell taco meat is only about 35 percent beef. Such a description violates USDA rules, and an Alabama law firm is suing Taco Bell for false advertising.

The Taco Bell class action suit

Claims made in Taco Bell advertising that its taco meat is “ground beef,” or “seasoned ground beef” are hard to digest for a California woman who wants to keep the “Mexican-inspired” food chain honest. After learning that Taco Bell taco meat contained a long list of additives and fillers ranging from oatmeal to silica, she hired a law firm. Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles of Montgomery, Ala., filed a Taco Bell class-action suit in California Jan. 21 on her behalf. The Taco Bell class action suit claims that Taco Bell taco meat is actually “filling” that is 65 percent extenders, preservatives and other chemicals.

Why Taco Bell Taco meat isn’t beef

The Taco Bell false advertising suit is based on the  official definition of ground beef determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA definition of ground beef includes fresh or frozen beef with no more than 30 percent fat and free of extra water, phosphates, binders or extenders. Taco Bell taco meat is laden with such phosphates, binders and extenders as sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, water, “isolated oat product” and silicon dioxide (an anti-caking agent). According to USDA definition, Taco Bell taco meat doesn’t even qualify as “taco filling,” which must be at least 40 percent fresh meat.

What’s in Taco Bell taco meat?

While not denying the facts of the Taco Bell class action suit, Taco Bell denies its advertising is misleading and said millions of customers agree. The woman who initiated the suit said she’s not in it for the money. She simply wants the court to require that Taco Bell quit advertising that it is selling beef. On Taco Bell’s website, ingredient details for the meat in its “Beefy Crunch Burrito” include the following:

Water, isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats (wheat), soy lecithin, sugar, spices, maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that is absorbed as glucose), soybean oil (anti-dusting agent), garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, caramel color, cocoa powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), natural flavors, yeast, modified corn starch, natural smoke flavor, salt, sodium phosphate, less than 2% of beef broth, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate.

Sources

New York Daily News

Daily Tech

TacoBell.com

al.com

Image from Flickr.

Despite the mayhem that occurred in some areas the last time KFC gave out free chicken, the fast-food vendor is going for it again. If you sign up for the Colonel’s E-mail Club, you can print a coupon for a free piece of KFC grilled chicken.

Previously, KFC gave out full grilled chicken meals for free. In that case customers also needed a coupon that could be printed from the web site. Also, Oprah promoted the giveaway on her show and her site, adding a whole new level of hype to the phrase “KFC free chicken.”

Boston Market meals for $1

It’s a good day for chicken lovers, as Boston Market is running a special on chicken meals through Nov. 1. Customers who print out the online coupon can get a Boston Market meal for only $1. So if you were thinking of getting payday cash advance loans to pay for groceries this week, you might want to hold off.

Boston Market meals are pretty hearty. The $1 meals include a quarter of a chicken, cornbread and mashed potatoes. That is a whole lot of food for $1. Boston Market probably figured out that in order to compete with the ever-more-popular Dollar Menus popping up at every fast food place, they’d have to run this promotion to get people hooked. The strategy seems to be working, as the page that allegedly contains the Boston Market coupon (www.bostonmarket.com/restaurant?page=coupons) won’t even load right now, probably because of too much web traffic.

More free stuff

Taco Bell also is participating in a giveaway this week. Taco Bell says it will give a free Black Jack Taco to customers after dark on Halloween, which is Saturday. The only difference between a Black Jack Taco and a regular taco from Taco Bell appears to be the “zesty pepperjack sauce.”

Of course, the color of the shell is different, too, but that’s not really an ingredient. Black Jack Tacos are normally 89 cents, but you can try one for free on Halloween. In case I don’t make it to Taco Bell on Saturday, let me know if the Black Jack Taco lives up to all the hype. As far as I can tell, you don’t need a coupon to get a free taco.