Taco Bell has found itself in the midst of a lawsuit and the gest of it is this: Taco Bell sells a beef mixture as opposed to 100% beef as it claims. A class action suit brought by an Alabama law firm alleged that the 'beef' in Taco Bell products are nowhere near the 100% claim but is actually closer to 35%. The remaining 65% is a combination of grains, spices, and chemical fillers and binders.
According to the USDA, if the ingredients are as the suit alleges, Taco Bells meat mix does not meet the minimum requirements to be called beef.
The class action suit didn't seek any monetary damages. Indeed, all that was sought was advertising that is no longer deceptive by making Taco Bell tell the truth about their so-called 'beef'. It seems like a reasonable request worthy of the time and attention or is it?
Taco Bell's current legal woes has been created by the good intentions of others but we know where the road paved with good intentions lead to. There's no doubt that if Taco Bell is being deceptive they should be held accountable. However, most people who consume food products from the Bell aren't likely to care that their burrito or chulupa is mostly a hybrid beef concoction. In fact, most consumers of Taco Bell are only interested in a quick, cheap meal.
Realizing this made Taco Bell's reaction very curious, however. They went on an all out advertising campaign with TV commercials and full page newspaper ads but who are they trying to convince? On the one hand you have a class action lawsuit that would not have changed much of anything if it succeeded or failed (it has since been dismissed). On the other hand Taco Bell is defending itself to a public that doesn't care what percentage of beef is in their products.
The beef percentage isn't the main problem
Lost among the ad blitzs and lawyers is a real and material matter that has a point that needs to mercifully emerge for a better, healthier tomorrow. That point lies in the ingredients and how they affect the body. Let's take a closer look at the ingredients which are:
Beef, Water, Seasoning [Isolated Oat Product, Salt, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Oats, Soy Lecithin, Toasted Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Maltodextrin, Sugar, Soybean Oil (Antidusting Agent), Black Pepper, Oregano, Cumin, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Lactic Acid, Natural Flavors, Natural Smoke Flavor, Modified Corn Starch], Salt, Sodium Phosphate.
Right out of the gate some hidden allergy issues must be addressed. It is not uncommon for people to be allergic to soy, oats or maltodextrin (maltodextrin is derived from corn) which could lead to life threatening situations or other allergic reactions that are simply regarded as nuisances. Consumers would likely never know out was the 'meat' in their Nacho Supreme that caused their reaction. And since a list of these ingredients are not prominently posted in the restaurant how would a consumer know.
Along with the potential allergic reactions is the nearly automatic inflammatory response caused by more than a few of the ingredients. Chronic inflammation is a mostly unaddressed negative hallmark of human health today. One of the chief causes of inflammatory responses is sugar especially refined sugar. When you take a look Taco Bell's beef ingredients you may be surprised that they use four different kinds of refined sugar (maltodextrin, sugar, caramel color, cocoa). These simple sugars enter the blood stream quickly creating inflammation and spiking insulin and triglyceride levels. Consistent increases and spikes of insulin and triglyceride levels leads to metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity which is reaching epidemic proportions in western societies.
A third and final point to be made is the hidden MSG used by Taco Bell. It's called autolyzed yeast extract and it is a well known excitotoxin. The "excito" part explains how it stimulates nerve cells in the brain. The "toxcin" part describes the fact that the simulation leads to damaged nerve cells in the brain and eventually cellular death. In addition, it is thought to cause scarring in the hypothalamus which controls appetite. A damaged hypothalamus leads to increased appetite leading to more consumption making people heavier (obese). There are a few more ingredients of concern but for the sake of brevity we'll move on.
Taco Bell is certainly not the only questionable food entity out there. The fast food industry as a whole needs to be addressed. With that said the lawsuit being leveled against Taco Bell was a honorable endeavor. No know one wants to be lied to but it must be seen for what it is: a distraction. When it comes to what really matters, however, the true mark is missed. We simply end up going in circles without the information that would truely benefit society and we end up distracted to death.
Sources
tacobell.com
msgmyth.com
naturalnews.com/009379.htm
msgtruth.com
www.foxnews.com/health/2011/01/25/wheres-beef-taco-bell-sued-ingredients/?cmpid=cmty_email_Gigya_Taco_Bell_Sued_Over_Meat_That's_Just_35_Percent_Beef
