Before you bite into that Taco Bell beef burrito or taco, you might want to clarify the definition of ?beef.?

Beasley Allen, an Alabama law firm, has filed a class action lawsuit against Taco Bell, claiming the restaurant chain misleads its customers about what?s actually in its tacos. The lawsuit claims the company uses “false advertising” on its menu and in its advertisements because what is alleged to be “beef” is not actually “beef” at all!!

Ewwwwww! Are you wondering what the hell y’all have been eating in those cheesy meaty Taco Bell entrees?According to the lawsuit uncovered by news station WSFA, Taco Bell uses some kinda “beef”-based pseudo-Mexican delicacy called “Taco Meat Filling” as shown on their big container’s labels.

The list of ingredients is pretty gruesome:

Water, isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats (wheat), soy lecithin, sugar, spices, maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that is absorbed as glucose), soybean oil (anti-dusting agent), garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, caramel color, cocoa powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), natural flavors, yeast, modified corn starch, natural smoke flavor, salt, sodium phosphate, less than 2% of beef broth, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate.

And out of all of those ingredients, the “filler” only contains 36% meat. Thirty-six percent! PLUS all the above random ingredients making up for the other 64% of the party in your mouth.

According to Alabama?s WSFA 12 News, the lawsuit alleges Taco Bell?s beef doesn?t even meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s definition of the word BEEF!

The USDA defines “Beef” as “flesh of cattle”…with no additives:

Chopped fresh and/or frozen beef with or without seasoning and without the addition of beef fat as such, shall not contain more than 30 percent fat, and shall not contain added water, phosphates, binders, or extenders.

The Taco Bell Corporation responded to news of the lawsuit with the following statement issued by Company spokesman?Rob Poetsch:

?Taco Bell prides itself on serving high quality Mexican inspired food with great value…. We deny our advertising is misleading in any way and we intend to vigorously defend the suit.?

If you’re an avid Taco Bell eater, you might want to jump in on this class action. There’s no telling how all that “fake” beef will affect your system in the future.

CLICK HERE to read a copy of the full complaint (.pdf file)

(Source 1 and 2)