Taco Bell Beef Lawsuit Withdrawn

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- An Alabama-based law firm said Monday it has withdrawn its class-action lawsuit that sought to force Taco Bell to stop calling the meat it serves "beef."

The lawsuit, filed in January in federal court in California, alleged that what Taco Bell calls "seasoned beef" is a meat mixture that has binders and extenders and does not meet federal requirements to be labeled beef.

The fast-food chain said Monday the allegations were "absolutely wrong" and the lawsuit was voluntarily withdrawn by the firm. It said no money was exchanged and it is not changing any of its products or advertising.

"This sets the record straight about the high quality of our seasoned beef and the integrity of our advertising," Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed said in an interview. "We took great exception to the false claims made about our seasoned beef and wish the attorneys had contacted us before filing and publicizing a lawsuit that disparaged our brand."

Law firm Beasley Allen, based in Montgomery, Ala., said that it withdrew the lawsuit after Taco Bell made changes to its marketing and product disclosure.

"From the inception of this case, we stated that if Taco Bell would make certain changes regarding disclosure and marketing of its `seasoned beef' product, the case could be dismissed," attorney Dee Miles said in a statement.

In response to the lawsuit, Taco Bell took out full-page ads in at least nine major newspapers, aired television spots and launched a YouTube campaign to proclaim its taco filling is 88 percent beef.

It spent between $3 million and $4 million in advertising to counter the accusations made in the lawsuit, Creed said.

He said he could not comment on any financial fallout for the fast-food company as a result from the lawsuit because of an "earnings blackout." Taco Bell's parent company, Louisville-based Yum Brands Inc., reports its quarterly earnings on Wednesday.

Yum Brands is also the parent of Pizza Hut and KFC.

Comments

[progressivegreg]

03:13 PM on 04/20/2011

I saw Jamie Oliver's food revolution and discovered where "ground beef" comes from. Fast food is over for me! I always wondered why the ground beef was so "mushy", now that I know if it doesn't have the texture of real "hamburger" "ground chuck" or "ground round" I will avoid it. I now know why everything is "fast food" is so heavily seasoned, TO COVER THE AMMONIA!!!

[Just a passerby]

07:14 PM on 04/21/2011

Pretty appalling, right?

Then again, watching that little cow he brought on and thinking about its likely future made me feel kind of blah, too.

[frank day]

11:28 AM on 04/20/2011

I like my Taco Bell.

Personally, I'd be fine if it was made out of TVP.

Lunch for just $2. Win.

[progressivegreg]

03:14 PM on 04/20/2011

Health problems in your 50's, Priceless!

[onionboy]

03:24 AM on 04/20/2011

Next thing they'll tell me is that hamburger isn't made with real ham.

[planetjeffy]

02:30 AM on 04/20/2011

the 5% unicorn poop they use
makes taco bell tacos yummy

[LiberalAsTheDayIsLong]

10:15 PM on 04/19/2011

There's a reason it's only 89 cents.....

[OverseasVet]

07:58 PM on 04/19/2011

Good food and a 10% military discount.

[Jessica Erin]

05:03 PM on 04/19/2011

support your local mexican restaurants! taco bell is for the dogs. literally. pretty sure that stuff is dog food, or worse

[DevonTexas]

06:31 PM on 04/19/2011

Taco Casa here in Fort Worth if you want fast TexMex. But, you're right. Support your local Mexican and TexMex establishments. Keep the money local.

[ianmcc]

10:11 PM on 04/19/2011

I remember going to authentic mexican restaurants back when I lived in San Francisco. They served burrito's as big & thick as a human foot with tortilla chips & a drink for under $7.00 You always had to ask for a to-go container for the left-overs. Taco Bell truly is NOT mexican food (although I guiltily admit I do still eat the chicken chalupas there sometimes).

[purenergy]

05:02 PM on 04/19/2011

yum brands = pepsico

[deepintheheartoftejas]

08:08 PM on 04/19/2011

PepsiCo sold them off about 8 years ago.

[purenergy]

05:01 PM on 04/19/2011

"This sets the record straight about the high quality of our seasoned beef and the integrity of our advertising," Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed said in an interview.

ahahahahaha, riiight. High quality and integrity, sure.

[DevonTexas]

06:32 PM on 04/19/2011

They still refuse to call it "pure beef" and used the "seasoned beef" repeatedly. I'm thinking, by their definition, seasoned beef includes some beef and a lot of floor sweepings.

[Jessica Erin]

04:57 PM on 04/19/2011

i don't care...the junk they sell at taco bell is still not food.

[spinns17]

04:45 PM on 04/19/2011

i still wont eat there .

[Indrid Cold]

04:16 PM on 04/19/2011

"IT'S PEOPLE!!!!"

[SeeknDestroy Again]

04:08 PM on 04/19/2011

RUN, Fluffy, RUN!

[HITO]

04:13 PM on 04/19/2011

Tell Fluffy to stay away from the bright light.

[Gardawg]

04:08 PM on 04/19/2011

There's a whole lot more to a cow than red meat ... there's the delicious brain tissue, the lips and udders not to mention the reproductive organs along with the entrails and ears ... shoot, it's easy to have 100% beef with not a cell of red meat anywhere to be seen ....

The best part of those tacos is the 12% flavorings and binders ....

[dkart]

03:57 PM on 04/19/2011

Does anyone know if their beef is 88% beef, or is their filling 88% beef?

[HITO]

03:59 PM on 04/19/2011

Semantics at play.

I think of more import is that it's 100%crap.

[SeeknDestroy Again]

04:08 PM on 04/19/2011

If so, does it attract flies?

[SeeknDestroy Again]

04:00 PM on 04/19/2011

Do they tell the truth 88% of the time?

I used to like Taco Bell.

I think I'll skip it 88% to 100% of the time, from now on.