Yo Quiero Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

                                        I ate WHAT?!

     From The Street

     Taco Bell came under scrutiny after a class-action lawsuit was filed against it on Jan. 19, alleging that the Mexican-style fast-food chain does not put enough real beef in its tacos to accurately call the filling beef. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines beef as "flesh of cattle." 


    The suit claims that Taco Bell says its products contain, "seasoned ground beef or seasoned beef, when in fact a substantial amount of the filling contains substances other than beef."


     The suit said Taco Bell's ground beef includes ingredients such as water, isolated oat product, an anti-dusting agent, an anti-caking agent and modified corn starch, as well as beef and seasonings.

The USDA says that "ground beef can have seasonings, but no water, phosphates, extenders, or binders added."

     Taco Bell says their "Seasoned Beef" is 88% beef. The suit claims that an accurate figure is 35%.

      ******************

     Even more disturbing but not alleged in the Taco Bell suit is the increasing use of cellulose as an extender in a wide variety of foods. 

     From The Street

     Cellulose is virgin wood pulp that has been processed and manufactured to different lengths for functionality, though use of it and its variant forms (cellulose gum, powdered cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, etc.) is deemed safe for human consumption, according to the FDA, which regulates most food industry products. The government agency sets no limit on the amount of cellulose that can be used in food products meant for human consumption. The USDA, which regulates meats, has set a limit of 3.5% on the use of cellulose, since fiber in meat products cannot be recognized nutritionally.

    The demand for cellulose has increased as commodity prices continue to rise.

     Yum!

     Be seeing you.