Consumer groups concerned that the Taco Bell fast food chain's beef is not pure meat

Consumer groups concerned that the Taco Bell fast food chain's beef is not pure meat have filed suit in California, claiming false advertising on the part of the fast food giant. Attorneys for unhappy consumers claim that the "ground beef" in the chain's food is only 35% meat while the rest is a mix of vegetable based ingredients.The food chain defends its beef product claiming it is purchased from the same "trusted brands you find in the supermarket," specifically Tyson Foods a multinational meat corporation based in Arkansas. According to Wikipedia, Tyson supplies beef to most of the major fast food chains as well as to the largest grocery store chains in the US.Taco Bell executives claim that their beef product is enhanced with seasonings and other ingredients to give it a "signature Taco Bell taste and texture." According to the Associated Press, the lawyers for the plaintiffs found that the food chain's meat product had chile pepper, onion, tomato powder, oats, soy lecithin, soybean oil, garlic, cocoa and monosodium glutamate.

Problems with Beef
While the lawsuit against Taco Bell seeks only to have the company represent it's ingredients honestly, the implication that vegetable products in the meat lower its quality may be misinformed. Even lean ground beef is 62% fat, much of it saturated fat which stimulates the body to produce cholesterol. According to Dr. John McDougall, beef has one of the highest levels of cholesterol of any meat. Consuming saturated fat and cholesterol lead to clogged arteries, hypertension, heart disease and cancer.Beef from large factory farms like those operated by Tyson Foods or its contractors have been implicated in potentially dangerous bacteria contamination like e coli that can spread among cattle in the crowded conditions on factory farms.

High levels of antibiotics, drugs, pesticides and other toxic chemicals have also been found in mass produced meats.Antibiotics used to protect factory farm cattle from disease can accumulate in human consumers, potentially lowering resistance to bacterial infections like tuberculosis and putting people at risk when they contract diseases needing antibiotic treatments.Benefits of Vegetable Fillers
The sorts of vegetable fillers that Taco Bell puts in their meat products pose fewer health risks than pure cow muscle. While highly processed vegetable proteins do not provide quality nutrition, they are relatively benign compared to the health risks posed by the animal products they replace. Monosodium glutamate (which is sold under other trade names like "autolyzed yeast extract") however causes migraine headaches in many consumers.Given that vegetable proteins contain no cholesterol, no saturated fats, and fewer bacteria or other pollutants, a higher portion of vegetable products in the meat product benefits consumers.

A complete elimination of animal products from the fast food chain's menu would promote public health and reduce environmental problems posed by factory farms especially in the South and Midwest.To learn more about health issues related to diet choices visit the link below.

Article Source: http://articles.webinxs.com

types of vegetables

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated