Fast food restaurant chain Taco Bell's hamburger meat quality is the subject of a recent lawsuit. An Alabama law firm, on behalf of a California woman, is suing Taco Bell on the basis of misleading customers on the quality of their beef. The suit claims that lab analysis shows there is only 35 percent real ground beef in the taco filling, which is under USDA standards..
Taco Bell has countered the lawsuit with a full-page newspaper advertisement that headlines "Thank You for Suing Us." The ad goes on to state that the lawsuit is false and the real percentage breakdown is 88 percent beef and 12 percent special recipe.
Taco Bell Behind the Advertising Times
As far as assuring customers that their product is "real" food, Taco Bell is behind "natural" ad campaign trends that started almost a decade ago. Companies have been expanding upon the "Where's the Beef?" idea, turning it into "What's in the Beef?" and other menu items.
CKE Restaurants chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's have been running a marketing campaign satirizing McDonald's chicken nuggets and playing up their chicken tenders since 2002. Commercials seen today spoof a chicken being inspected, saying "Can you find the nuggets on this chicken?" And responds, "Neither could we."
In 2009, McDonald's took on Carl's Jr.'s "Original Six Dollar Burger" and Hardee's "Original Thickburger" by debuting their "Angus Burger." All three are made with Angus beef, which left the ad wars hyping not only the quality of each burger, but also the taste. CKE even went as far as offering a money back guarantee if their burgers didn't beat out in taste.
Arby's has gone one step further in fast food attack ads, with their "Roast Burger." Arby's is trying to re-invent the burger on the basis of quality of meat. "It's the burger done better," claims advertising. The ad spots show an employee greasing his hair with the competition's meat patty.
Taco Meat Lawsuit Makes Consumers Wary
This type of advertising has taken hold on consumer thinking and could spell trouble if Taco Bell cannot prove the quality of their beef filing. Since the fast food company has not made it a big deal to play up quality, consumers have little choice but to guess that that is because there is none. The newspaper ad does little to alleviate that concern.
There is not a Taco Bell in my town, so when I go shopping in bigger cities it is often the fast food drive-thru of choice on my way back home. After a shopping trip with my sister Saturday night, the traditional Taco Bell pit stop wasn't even an option. Neither one of us suggested going there.
It's not that I can't abide meat mixtures. I make meatloaf and even taco meat at home. It is just the thought planted in my head that Taco Bell's meat is "off'." Until the exact meat percentages have been settled in court, my queasy stomach is going to have to take a pass on "Thinking outside the bun."
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