Taco Bell Lawsuit - "Where's the Beef?"

What i like about this lawsuit is the person/group isnt suing for money but rather the fact that TB is false advertising, I think that alone makes this kick ass!

Well everyone has made some fair points about why the lawsuit if varied, as far as false advertising and allergic warnings etc

But in the end I hear lawsuit I think dollar signs, I doubt most, not all but most people are pursuing a lawsuit for the greater good of the people

The class-action lawsuit was filed late last week in federal court in California. It claimed Taco Bell falsely advertised its products as "beef." The suit alleges that the fast-food chain actually uses a meat mixture in its burritos and tacos that contains binders and extenders and does not meet requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be labeled beef.

Taco Bell quickly denied the accusation. "The lawsuit is bogus and filled with completely inaccurate facts," Taco Bell President Creed said in an interview.

The lawsuit, filed by the Alabama law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, doesn't specify what percentage of the mixture is meat. But the firm's attorney Dee Miles said the firm had the product tested and found it contained less than 35 percent beef. The firm would not say who tested the meat or give any other specifics of the analysis.

Taco Bell says its seasoned beef contains 88 percent USDA-inspected beef and the rest is water, spices and a mixture of oats, starch and other ingredients that contribute to the "quality of its product." The company said it uses no extenders.

Still, the company couldn't ignore the case after it made headlines and quickly spread online.

"This is one of those things that could be a humongous threat to their brand, which is why Taco Bell has taken such an aggressive stance on this," said Marc Williams, an attorney at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough with extensive experience in fast-food litigation.

The case, Williams said, is thin in potential legal liability. Lawyers would have to prove that most consumers expect and believe they are getting something other than what Taco Bell actually serves. Most fast-food customers, he said, realize taco meat has other ingredients besides beef. And the lawsuit cites U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for labeling ground beef, which don't apply to restaurants.

The USDA's rules apply to meat processors — the companies Taco Bell buys its meat from. Tyson Foods Inc., the company's largest meat supplier, said it mixes and cooks the meat at three USDA-inspected plants and that the meat is tested daily to make sure it meets requirements.

Claims of false advertising typically are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission.

Industry and public relations executives say it's critical for the company to respond forcefully to head off damage to its reputation. However, most say it's unlikely to seriously dent Taco Bell's image or business, which serves 35 million people a week.

Those were good finds AlbinoHero and Star. It helps put the whole case into a larger perspective but does any one else wonder if maybe that ONE Taco Bell in Alabama wasn't padding the meat more than normal?

Now that I could believe. It wouldn't be the first time an individual store would cut corners to save money. My wife worked at a restaurant chain that was supposed to change out it's deep fryer oil every one to two days. The owner wouldn't let them change it out for weeks on end.