Taco Bell has settled the suit over whatever they put in those tacos, but only after changes to their marketing and product disclosure.
I find it suspicious that the company couldn't just have a laboratory look at a taco and say, "This is beef." This fact will not slow me down at the drive-through, but it is weird.
From FoodBusinessNews.net:
IRVINE, CALIF. — Taco Bell said Montgomery, Ala.-based Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C. law firm voluntarily has withdrawn its class action lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court Central District of California Southern Division, called into question the filling Taco Bell uses in its tacos. The lawsuit claimed the filling does not meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s standard to be labeled or advertised as beef.Taco Bell, which is a division of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands, Inc. said no money or other value was exchanged between the parties, and Taco Bell is not making any changes to its products or advertising.
“This sets the record straight about the high quality of our seasoned beef and the integrity of our advertising,” said Greg Creed, chief executive officer, Taco Bell. “We are extremely proud of our food quality. 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. We hope the voluntary withdrawal of this lawsuit receives as much public attention as when it was filed so we may put the matter behind us and fully concentrate on serving our customers.”
Dee Miles of Beasley Allen said the law firm withdrew the lawsuit after Taco Bell made changes to its marketing and product disclosure.
“We accepted Taco Bell’s invitation to confer with company representatives and share information and ideas about the issues in the case,” Mr. Miles said. “As a result of the lawsuit, changes in marketing and product disclosure were made by the company, allowing us to dismiss the case.”
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% beef.
