vealed the remaining 12 percent of the ingredients in its “seasoned beef” that are not beef. At its website, Taco Bell lists the following as the comprehensive ingredients in its “seasoned beef” mixture:“Beef, Water, Seasoning [Cellulose, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Salt, Oats (Contains Wheat), Maltodextrin (Corn, Potato, Tapioca), Soy Lecithin, Tomato Powder, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Sea Salt, Yeast Extract (Contains Gluten), Spices, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Potassium Chloride, Cocoa Powder Processed with Alkali, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Trehalose, Modified Corn Starch, Inactivated Yeast, Lactic Acid, Torula Yeast, Natural Smoke Flavor], Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Less Than 2% Beef Broth, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Lactate. CONTAINS: SOYBEANS, WHEAT.”
While Taco Bell notes that some of its “seasoned beef” ingredients “do have weird names,” the company adds that “these ingredients are completely safe and approved by the FDA. They’re common ingredients also found in food items at your grocery store.”
In addition, Taco Bell states that it uses only USDA-inspected, 100-percent premium real beef with no MSG (monosodium glutamate), a flavor enhancer.
“We believe it’s important that consumers make informed decisions about what they eat, and so for many years have provided details of our ingredients on our website,” Rob Poetsch, Taco Bell spokesman, told ABCNews.com.
The following are a list of ingredients in Taco Bell’s “seasoned beef,” along with comments from the company:
Maltodextrin: “It sounds weird, but it’s actually a form of mildly sweet sugar we use to balance the flavor. You may have had it the last time you had a natural soda.”
Torula Yeast: “This is a form of yeast that gives our seasoned beef a more savory taste.”
Modified Corn Starch: “Actually, it’s derived from corn, which is a food staple in Mexican culture as well as many others. We use a small amount as a thickener and to maintain moisture in our seasoned beef. It’s common in many foods like yogurt,” Taco Bell states.
Soy Lecithin: “When you prepare as much seasoned beef as we do, you don’t want it to separate. That’s what soy lecithin does. It helps (with moisture) to bind substances that would otherwise separate — like oil and water. It’s a common ingredient in many grocery staples, like chocolate bars and salad dressings.”
Sodium Phosphates: These “help make sure our seasoned beef is the right texture. They’re also commonly found in deli items, cheeses, coffee drinks and desserts.”
Lactic Acid: “This safe acid occurs in almost all living things, and we use a very small amount to manage the acidity to get the right flavor.”
Caramel Color and Cocoa Powder: According to Taco Bell, the caramel color “is caramelized sugar, which is a commonly used food coloring (also found in cereals and pancake syrup). Cocoa Powder doesn’t add any flavor to our recipe, but it helps our seasoned beef maintain a rich color.”
Trehalose: “It’s a naturally occurring sugar that we use to improve the taste of our seasoned beef.”
