01-27-2011, 04:32 AM
Taco Bell is challenging a class action lawsuit, which was filed on Friday in a California court. The YUM Brands-owned fast-food chain vows to take "legal action" against claims that the beef items on its menu only contain 35 percent of the meat and don't meet government label requirements.
The class action lawsuit, filed by Alabama law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, on behalf of a California Taco Bell customer, Amanda Obney, asserts that the majority of the meat mixture used in Taco Bell’s beef items is actually composed of ingredients like water, wheat, oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch. Therefore, the chain doesn't meet U.S. Department of Agriculture standards to be labeled “beef,” per the suit.
Taco Bell, however, issued a statement that says otherwise. “At Taco Bell, we buy our beef from the same trusted brands you find in the supermarket, like Tyson Foods. We start with 100 percent USDA-inspected beef . . . Unfortunately, the lawyers in this case elected to sue first and ask questions later, and got their 'facts' absolutely wrong. We plan to take legal action for the false statements being made about our food,” Greg Creed, Taco Bell's president and chief concept officer, said in a statement.
The consumer behind the action, Obney, didn't request monetary damages, but the public relations fallout may be incalculable. How much commercial damage has been done remains to be seen. The lawsuit has gotten extensive media pickup, with one outlet featuring a photo of the ingredients listed on a package of the chain’s self-described “taco meat filling.” That story has become one of the busiest pages on the Internet, and consumers have taken to Taco Bell’s Facebook page and to Twitter to express their disgust.
The avalanche of bad publicity comes at a time when Taco Bell has been focusing on a marketing and menu strategy, emphasizing healthier options. Reminiscent of Subway spokesman Jared, Taco Bell has used a female consumer, who allegedly lost 54 pounds in 18 months, in its advertising.
The class action lawsuit, filed by Alabama law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, on behalf of a California Taco Bell customer, Amanda Obney, asserts that the majority of the meat mixture used in Taco Bell’s beef items is actually composed of ingredients like water, wheat, oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch. Therefore, the chain doesn't meet U.S. Department of Agriculture standards to be labeled “beef,” per the suit.
Taco Bell, however, issued a statement that says otherwise. “At Taco Bell, we buy our beef from the same trusted brands you find in the supermarket, like Tyson Foods. We start with 100 percent USDA-inspected beef . . . Unfortunately, the lawyers in this case elected to sue first and ask questions later, and got their 'facts' absolutely wrong. We plan to take legal action for the false statements being made about our food,” Greg Creed, Taco Bell's president and chief concept officer, said in a statement.
The consumer behind the action, Obney, didn't request monetary damages, but the public relations fallout may be incalculable. How much commercial damage has been done remains to be seen. The lawsuit has gotten extensive media pickup, with one outlet featuring a photo of the ingredients listed on a package of the chain’s self-described “taco meat filling.” That story has become one of the busiest pages on the Internet, and consumers have taken to Taco Bell’s Facebook page and to Twitter to express their disgust.
The avalanche of bad publicity comes at a time when Taco Bell has been focusing on a marketing and menu strategy, emphasizing healthier options. Reminiscent of Subway spokesman Jared, Taco Bell has used a female consumer, who allegedly lost 54 pounds in 18 months, in its advertising.