The late '90s and early 2000s were a wild time, with Britney and Justin wearing matching denim get-ups and everybody all panicked that the Internet would go kaput at the turning of the century. Then there's the rumor, which nearly everyone heard and likely perpetuated, that Taco Bell's beef is "Grade D — Fit for human consumption," "Grade D, but edible," or "Grade F," . It's a tale that has followed the fast food chain for decades, even despite , but as it turns out, it's simply not true.
According to the company, the seasoned beef is made uing 100% USDA premium beef. It goes on to say that, like home cooks making meat for taco night, Taco Bell prepares their beef by simmering it, draining it of excess fat, and then seasoning it with the chain's special blend of spices. Still, customers in 2011 were shocked when they discovered the meat contained only 88% beef, wondering what the other 12% could be.
It turns out the answer is relatively mundane: The non-beef elements of Taco Bell beef are mostly seasonings and binders. The meat is no longer a mystery In 2011 an Alabama law firm brought a class-action lawsuit against the company, alleging that the fast food chain inappropriately labeled its meat as "seasoned ground beef" when it only contained 36% beef (the lawsuit was eventually withdrawn). However, that year saw Taco Bell spend $3 million on a TV advertising campaign to debunk, once and for all, the rumors about its meat.
Part of that campaign included an explainer on its .