The seasoned beef recipe section of Taco Bell’s website is going viral this week, as ABC News, USA Today, and Business Insider claim the page has been updated with colloquial explanations of the recipe, which is 88% “premium beef”, while the other 12% is called “Signature Recipe.”
The page is clearly intended to put an end to rumors that Taco Bell beef is “Grade D” meat once and for all. In fact, in 2011, a lawsuit alleged Taco Bell beef was only 35% beef according to lab tests, but it was dropped.
The website also hopes to make consumers less afraid of ingredients that are “hard to pronounce” and assure them that they are FDA-approved. For example, joking that potassium chloride “sounds like a science experiment,” the site explains, “We actually used it to help reduce the amount of salt used in our seasoned beef recipe.”
Some of the other explanations:
A chemist named Derek Lowe told ABC News he has no problem with any of the ingredients. Registered dietician Katherine Tallmadge also said the ingredients are safe in a USA Today interview, but emphasized the importance of reading ingredients on food labels in general.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker
- The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com