--- title: Whats in Taco Bell Beef Mystery Beef description: Here's what's actually in Taco Bell beef. canonical: https://time.com/83184/whats-really-in-taco-bell-beef/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-04-30T20:51:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:48:41.776Z og:title: Here's What's in Taco Bell's "Mystery Beef" og:description: Here's what's actually in Taco Bell beef. og:url: https://time.com/83184/whats-really-in-taco-bell-beef/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's What's in Taco Bell's "Mystery Beef" twitter:description: Here's what's actually in Taco Bell beef. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # What's Really in Taco Bell Beef  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Apr 30, 2014 8:51 PM UTC  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Apr 30, 2014 8:51 PM UTC  Taco Bell The seasoned beef recipe section of Taco Bell’s [website](http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/foodfacts/BeefQuality/BeefIngredientFAQ) is going viral this week, as [_ABC News_](http://abcnews.go.com/Business/taco-bell-reveals-mystery-beef-ingredients/story?id=23514878)_,_ [_USA Today_](http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/health/2014/04/30/taco-bell-beef-ingredients/8517465/)_,_ and[ _Business Insider_](http://www.businessinsider.com/what-does-taco-bell-food-actually-contain-2014-4) 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](http://edition.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/04/19/taco.bell.lawsuit/index.html) 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: * **Soy Lecithin:** “It helps (with moisture) to bind substances that would otherwise separate – like oil and water. It’s a common ingredient in many grocery staples, like chocolate bars and salad dressings.” * **Maltodextrin:** “It sounds weird, but it’s actually a form of mildly sweet sugar we use to balance the flavor. You may have had it the last time you had a natural soda.” * **Torula Yeast:** “This is a form of yeast that gives our seasoned beef a more savory taste.” * **Trehalose:** “It’s a naturally occurring sugar that we use to improve the taste of our seasoned beef.” A chemist named Derek Lowe told [_ABC News_](http://abcnews.go.com/Business/taco-bell-reveals-mystery-beef-ingredients/story?id=23514878) he has no problem with any of the ingredients. Registered dietician Katherine Tallmadge also said the ingredients are safe in a _USA Today_ [interview](http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/health/2014/04/30/taco-bell-beef-ingredients/8517465/), but emphasized the importance of reading ingredients on food labels in general. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/83184/whats-really-in-taco-bell-beef/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/83184/whats-really-in-taco-bell-beef/"},"headline":"What's Really in Taco Bell Beef","datePublished":"2014-04-30T20:51:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:48:41.776Z","description":"A full 12% of Taco Bell's 88% beef is made of what the company calls its \"special recipe.\" What makes the recipe so special? 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