Taco Bell was never one of the usual fast food joints my parents took me to growing up. I was introduced to it by a high school friend. We would go there after school, pull up to the drive through where my friend would order 2 bean burritos with extra hot sauce and scarf them down while I sat there wondering if he would take me to Wendy’s to get a hamburger (my favorite fast food back then). I couldn’t drive yet so I relied on my friend to chauffeur me around everywhere. Eventually I decided to try a burrito instead of begging my friend to make a stop at Wendy’s too. Surprisingly, it was pretty good and had to be healthier than a burger, I thought.
Boy, was I wrong – just take a look at the ingredients below. They are not pretty. A bean burrito is one of the simplest meals ever, but Taco Bell has processed it to death. Their bean burritos contain possible GMOs, preservatives made from butane (a very carcinogenic gas) called TBHQ, hidden MSG additives that trick your brain to remember and crave a flavor and other nasty processed food chemicals no one would cook with in their home!
Watching the headlines from Taco Bell pop up on my computer screen this week brought back this memory. Many of you (The #FoodBabeArmy) wanted to hear my thoughts about what Taco Bell is up to in their latest marketing scheme by revealing what’s exactly in their food on their website.
The motivation for Taco Bell’s latest marketing move came from a lawsuit.
In 2011, Taco Bell took out a full page ad in at least nine major newspapers, in an attempt to explain what’s exactly in their beef product because they were being sued in a class action lawsuit that claimed their beef is only “35% beef” and full of extenders and fillers. Taco Bell shot back that their beef product contains “88% Beef and 12% Secret Recipe”.
And now, three years later, although the lawsuit was dropped, Taco Bell made headlines again this week regarding their webpage called “What Are Those Other Ingredients?“, which attempts to describe the other 12% of ingredients behind their secret recipe that “have some pretty weird names”. Taco Bell President said all of these ingredients are in there to “enhance flavor, texture, taste.” ABC News interviewed a chemist from Duke University that said “There’s nothing on this list I have a problem eating.” After you find out the truth – I wonder if you’ll think the same. Let’s take a close look at these ingredients and see what’s really happening here.
What Taco Bell says vs. what they should really say.
1. MALTODEXTRIN
What Taco Bell Says: “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”
The Truth: Maltodextrin is likely made from genetically modified corn and according to David Zinczenko, author of “Eat It to Beat It”, “like other sugars, maltodextrin has the potential to raise blood glucose and insulin levels.” GMO Compass explains that it is typically added to food as a filling and thickening agent. I want to know why they have to use maltodextrin to “balance the flavor” when they are already using sugar in the beef mixture in it’s pure form – seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?
2. TORULA YEAST
What Taco Bell Says: “This is a form of yeast that gives our seasoned beef a more savory taste”
The Truth: This is hidden MSG. According to truthinlabeling.org and Dr. Mark Hyman in his new book “The 10 Day Detox Diet” – Torula Yeast can be a form of hidden glutamic acid – the main component in MSG that makes you crave an unforgettable taste and eat more than you should. Companies love using hidden forms of MSG like this ingredient that prevents them from actually saying “Monosodium Glutamate” on the label. So, while Taco Bell says they don’t use MSG: “Nope, None!” – I find this statement very misleading.
3. MODIFIED CORN STARCH
What Taco Bell Says: “Actually, it’s derived from corn, which is a food staple in Mexican culture as well as many others. We use a small amount as a thickener and to maintain moisture in our seasoned beef. It’s common in many foods like yogurt”
The Truth: Just because it’s “common” doesn’t mean that it’s good for you. Modified corn starch is a highly processed chemically-altered form of corn starch that is added to processed food as a cheap texturizing agent – and it’s not a natural ingredient that you would use in the kitchen. The corn that it’s derived from is likely GMO, as more than 90% of corn in the U.S. is genetically modified.
4. SOY LECITHIN
What Taco Bell Says: “When you prepare as much seasoned beef as we do, you don’t want it to separate. That’s what soy lecithin does. 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”
The Truth: This super-cheap ingredient is made from soybean oil that was most likely extracted with the toxic chemical hexane. As described by The Cornucopia Institute, “Hexane is a byproduct of gasoline refining. It is a neurotoxin and a hazardous air pollutant…Whole soybeans are literally bathed in hexane to separate the soybeans’ oil from protein”. This is yet another ingredient that is likely derived from a GMO source – soybeans.
5. SODIUM PHOSPHATES
What Taco Bell Says: This is used “to help make sure our seasoned beef is the right texture…They’re also commonly found in deli items, cheeses, coffee drinks and desserts”
The Truth: Phosphates are added to many processed foods and a phosphate-rich diet can be detrimental to your health. Diets high in phosphates are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, bone loss, and leads to a rapid progression of kidney disease. Janeen Leon, MS, RD, LD, a researcher at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, reported the following:
“We’re finding that, even among healthy adults, people with phosphate levels at the higher end of what’s considered normal have higher mortality rates… Though there’s no hard evidence that high-phosphate diets cause kidney disease, there is sufficient data showing that phosphorous does cause a more rapid progression of the disease… Doctors are making comments like, Is this the next trans fat? Is this the next cholesterol?”
6. LACTIC ACID
What Taco Bell Says: “This safe acid occurs in almost all living things, and we use a very small amount to manage the acidity to get the right flavor.”
The Truth: This type of Lactic acid is created in a laboratory, and likely derived from GMO corn starch or sugar beets. As I avoid ingredients that are derived from GMOs, this is on my “Do Not Eat” list.
7. COCOA POWDER
Taco Bell says: “Cocoa Powder doesn’t add any flavor to our recipe, but it helps our seasoned beef maintain a rich color.”
The Truth: They use cocoa powder to make the beef more appealing to the eye to trick you to eat this less than stellar product. Their ingredient label reveals that their cocoa powder is processed with alkali, which essentially destroys most of its nutritional value. Plus, conventionally grown cocoa beans are one of the most heavily sprayed crops on the planet, often with pesticides that are banned in the U.S., making it essential to only consume organic and ethically grown cocoa. This begs the question: Why do they feel the need to color their “beef” brown anyway?
8. CARAMEL COLOR
What Taco Bell Says: The caramel color “is caramelized sugar, which is a commonly used food coloring (also found in cereals and pancake syrup)”
The Truth: There are four types of caramel coloring used by food manufacturers, and two of these are processed with ammonia. These two dangerous forms of caramel coloring are classified as III and IV, and they contain 4-methylimidazole, a chemical that has been shown to cause cancer. This type of caramel coloring is added to Pepsi and many other food products like some pancake syrups, so it is crucial that we find out which classification of caramel coloring Taco Bell uses. So, what type do they use?
Well, we don’t know. Taco Bell still won’t tell us.
As soon as the news broke last week, my team and I contacted Taco Bell. We called their customer service number, sent website contact forms, emails and Tweets. The representatives that we talked to at Taco Bell did not know what type of caramel coloring they used. So far – we received one response to a website contact form that we submitted – and as you can see, they haven’t answered our question:
Taco Bell states that they “go to great lengths to be open about the ingredients we use, and want you to know the truth”. Following the recent lawsuit against them, the CEO of Taco Bell stated several times that he wished that the Plaintiff had simply contacted them to get information about their beef ingredients. Well – I’m here to tell ya that based on my experience here, it’s not that easy to get detailed information from Taco Bell about their ingredients! They did respond to my tweet on Friday, which was awesome, but I have yet to hear back from the person they had me call. When someone from Taco Bell does get back to me, I will be sure to update you all here.
6/16/2014 Update: After several conversations with Taco Bell’s Head of Communications, I was able to finally confirm Taco Bell uses “caramel coloring IV” – which means it is the worst kind. This type of caramel isn’t the stuff you make at home by cooking sugar. This caramel color is manufactured by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure, which creates carcinogenic compounds. Both Consumers Union and Center of Science in Public Interest have studied this chemical and recommended all companies drop this ingredient from their products. Also, in California, it is listed as a known carcinogen. Taco Bell’s statement online about this ingredient is VERY MISLEADING.
9. TREHALOSE
What Taco Bell Says: “It’s a naturally occurring sugar that we use to improve the taste of our seasoned beef”
The Truth: In all my years of researching food ingredients, this is an ingredient that I’m not familiar with, yet now its on my radar screen. This sweetener has been dubbed Japan’s equivalent to high fructose corn syrup, and it looks like we might be seeing more of this ingredient in the U.S. soon. Although trehalose is naturally occurring – Cargill is a major manufacturer of this sweetener, producing it from cornstarch in a laboratory. So, it’s likely derived from GMO corn and heavily processed. My team also contacted Taco Bell and asked for more information on the trehalose they use, and how it is sourced. So, I will update you here if I get more info.
Is Taco Bell really being “transparent” here?
While Taco Bell says their ingredients are “common ingredients also found in food items at your grocery store” they keep suspiciously quiet about some ingredients in their “seasoned beef” that could be harmful to your health:
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Soybean Oil – This is one of the cheapest oils that a restaurant can use, and it is almost always hexane extracted from GMO soybeans. It is also high in omega-6 fat, which according to Dr. Michael Roizen, “causes your arteries to get inflamed, causes your immune system to get inflamed, and decreases your ability to fight infections, decreases your ability to find cancer cells and get rid of them before they cause cancer, and increases inflammation and atherosclerosis in your arteries”
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Yeast Extract – This is another hidden form of MSG. Again, see Dr. Mark Hyman’s latest book for more sources of hidden MSG.
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Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate – These ingredients are really only added to products that contain MSG because they are relatively expensive additives that are ineffective without MSG ingredients. The presence of them in a product is a strong indication that a product contains hidden MSG.
Here’s the complete list of ingredients – in which I highlighted the ingredients that I’m really concerned about:
Taco Bell Seasoned Beef:
Beef, Water, Seasoning [Cellulose, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Salt, Oats (Contains Wheat), Maltodextrin (Corn, Potato, Tapioca), Soy Lecithin, Tomato Powder, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Sea Salt, Yeast Extract (Contains Gluten), Spices, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Potassium Chloride, Cocoa Powder Processed with Alkali, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Trehalose, Modified Corn Starch, Inactivated Yeast, Lactic Acid, Torula Yeast, Natural Smoke Flavor], Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Less Than 2% Beef Broth, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Lactate
…and what about the BEEF itself?
Yes, I highlighted the beef itself as an ingredient to be concerned about. Taco Bell is on the record saying that they buy their beef “from the same trusted brands you find in the supermarket, like Tyson Foods”. To me, this means that Taco Bell beef comes from cattle raised in a factory farm, fed GMO feed and injected with harmful hormones prior to slaughter. Tyson Foods openly states on their website that they feed their chickens GMO grains, and that is the standard in factory farms in the U.S. Taco Bell’s parent company – YUM Brands – has refused to take steps to label GMO ingredients on their restaurant menus and has joined forces with the Grocery Manufacturers Association to fight mandatory GMO labeling laws. It’s really important to know where your meat comes from and if it comes from animals fed GMO feed because GMO DNA has been found in the meat and organs in these animals. According to The Cornucopia Institute, when animals are fed GMO crops, the GMO DNA is “taken up by the animal’s organs and detected in the meat, milk, and fish” and the U.K. Food Standards Agency reluctantly admits that it’s “possible that DNA fragments derived from GM plant materials may occasionally be detected in animal tissues”
…and what about the “Taco Corn Shell” because no one eats the beef by itself.
Don’t even get me started. Ok fine. I will tell you. But it isn’t pretty. Traditional corn tortillas or taco shells are usually made with corn, salt, water, oil and maybe a little lime. Taco Bell takes this beautiful recipe and wrecks it with TBHQ, and many forms of suspected GMO oils – including one of the worst – cottonseed oil, that is regulated like a textile crop vs. a food crop, meaning it can contain much worse types of toxic pesticides.
The reason I say “suspected GMO oils” is because we’ve asked Taco Bell whether they use any GMO ingredients, and they have yet to provide a statement on GMOs. But if I were betting in vegas on this, I am pretty sure I’d come out as a winner winner, chicken dinner.
Also, if you are daring enough to get the XXL Taco, you’ll be eating parabens, which are endocrine disruptors linked to cancer. If you try the Doritos Loco Taco, you’ll get a nice dose of excitotoxins that can kill brain cells and artificial food dye made from petroleum.
So what do you do?
Stop eating at Taco Bell. They don’t deserve your money or your health. Instead, try one of these homemade recipes that will satisfy that Mexican craving:
- Kale Tacos
- Mexican Pizza
- Cauliflower Lentil Taco Salad
- Fast Food Burrito
- Quinoa Avocado Tacos
- Sweet Potato Quesadilla
- Mexican Casserole
- Hot Poblano Pockets
If you have a friend or a family member that likes to go to Taco Bell, here’s your chance. Share this post with them and tell them the truth. Don’t let this fast food giant pull the wool over our eyes any longer.
Hope you have a wonderful and happy Cinco de Mayo!
Vani
P.S. If you like investigations like this, sign up for my very personal email list where I share breaking information about what’s really happening in the food industry and healthy living tips every week. Xo!
And people wonder why they are always sick when the eat this kind of food!?!? Another great job Vani, thanks so much for all you do.
I would never eat at a Taco Bell again for one simple reason – in my hometown in Texas a Taco Bell employee was arrested (a decade or so ago) for defecating in the meat. It made several people incredibly ill. Never go there again!!!
Gross! Something similar happened to a local Taco Bell when I was a teenager. I also found a website that lists all of the inspections of local restaurants and where they fail. Needless to say, I don’t know that I’ll ever eat out again if I can!
My first adverse reaction came in 2004 after consuming food at Taco Bell….I have since narrowed my severe sensitivity as being to the disodium inosinate that is used along with MSG and found that this toxic additive has been banned in Europe but not in US. The US continues to allow the life destructing ingredient to be used in massive amounts of packaged food products.
You’re right, these foods are so easy to make well that you almost have to go to a special effort to make them badly. Quesadillas are so simple even I can make them. I put some butter and Trader Joe’s Monterey Jack cheese and tomato in an Ezekiel tortilla (all organic), put it in the oven for about 15 minutes, and om nom nom. For refried beans, I heat up Cadia refried beans and put in some chili and garlic powder. Lots easier than having to wait in the Taco Bell drive-thru. BTW, does anyone know about the health value of El Pollo Loco and Baja Taco?
Great reporting….I signed off on TB a while ago, tho.
Probobly, the best fast food place, tho, if you have to….
I’m hoping you will go after Trader Joes , to verify their versions are in fact non-GMO. It seems too suspect they won’t have an independant verification agency engaged…
Thank you for your work!
Thank you for posting this information. The FDA needs to do their job and prevent companies like Taco Bell from their “sickening” food being sold to people.
Go, Vani, go. Huge fan.
When I was pregnant in 2005, I was craving KFC (owned by same company as Taco Bell). I was eating super healthy and avoiding MSG, due to it causing migraines. My husband called to ask if their chicken contained MSG. At that time, they told him “every single thing on our menu contains MSG.” I shot back, even the Pepsi??? But honestly, even that would not surprise me!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
If you get any abswers ask why they cleaned the shelves in every tacobell accross america a few years ago 1998 I quit eating there ,as did you Isn’t this joint owned by coke ?
What is wrong with Xantham Gum? I saw that highlighted in red but didn’t see anything about it. I don’t know much about it but have seen it in Organic foods…what is it?
Great work as always, Vani. However, I noticed an advertisement for Lindt chocolate in the margin of your article. Lindt also uses alkali to process their dark chocolate bars.
Thank you for the recipes!
I will admit: I ate at Taco Bell last Friday. But I had their Cantina Bowl. Yes, I know better… and “it happens” when I fail to plan (thus, I plan to fail). Because of this article, I now know why I’ve felt so horrible after eating at Taco Bell. Since I began my attempt at eating clean last year (many thanks to Food Babe and her Eating Guides!), any time I eat “in the box,” I get so tired with an upset stomach. No more.
Again, thank for the recipes! More ammunition in my arsenal!
Rock on, Food Babe… rock on!
I have a question. You mention SOY LECITHIN many times throughout your posts, however, this is an ingredient in Tera’s Whey, a protein in which you suggest is one of the healthiest proteins. What is the difference and why is it okay in one product and not the other? Thank you so much for the info!
The soy lecithin in Tera’s Whey is organic. The inorganic kind is at high risk of being a GMO.
That’s what I had assumed Mary, but she doesn’t specify. She should be more specific when mentioning that (and other) ingredients because it is actually in many organic products. Thank you for your response 🙂
Organic products can have a small percentage of nonorganic ingredients. Since such a small amount of lecithin is used, it qualifies.
I just checked their website to verify that Tera’s Organic Whey does not contain soy lecithin. It contains “organic sunflower lecithin” according to the ingredient label.
Organic ingredients are not permitted to be processed with hexane and cannot be GMO, and it is specifically listed as an organic ingredient. “Soy lecithin” on an ingredient list may be GMO and processed with hexane if it is not specifically labeled as an organic ingredient (even if it’s in a product that contains other organic ingredients). It can be a bit confusing. I hope that clears it up for you 🙂
This is going to sound really odd, but some do contain the soy one, I can send you a picture! I did some searching around the Internet and some say soy and some say sunflower. ….sooo odd. I swear I am not crazy lol! I have proof!
After ripping a few bongs, their is nothing like slamming down some Taco Bell bean burritos!
The next morning they usually shoot out in the same form the arrive in me.
Lol! So next time before the first hit, make yourself a nice casserole dish of organic enchiladas and put it in the oven at 200* F. Perfect for after “party” munchies!
Vani, we appreciate the work you do in assuring the public is as well informed as humanly possible.
Thank you!
Do you have any information on Del Taco? They claim to make everything fresh and use REAL ingredients.
I’m afraid that Del Taco isn’t any better. They’re beef also has caramel color. http://www.deltaco.com/menu-burritos.html
I will have to share this with my younger brothers, Taco Bell is one of the few fast food places they will eat at. According to them, it has to be better for you than fast food burger places. Boy, are they wrong. Thank you for this information and I can’t wait to see what else you uncover.
Did you know that Taco Bell is going to open up “fancy” Taco Bells, they are going to be like Mexican Olive Gardens, I wonder if they will keep the same “beef” mixture recipe for the new restaurants.
great report! thank you Vani, keep up the great work!
I’m always amazed at the lack of healthy fast food places. The demand is huge and people would gladly pay 2x or 3x for fast food that isn’t slowly killing you. I just went to an organic store grand opening near me and the store was packed, people are definitely sick of paying for being poisoned
Well there goes Toxic Hell for my guys! First Subway now here. We already stopped eating at McDonald’s a long time ago cause we all would get upset stomachs. Thanks so much for the info!!!
Be thankful for the upset stomach, it tells right away that the food is not good for you. I get vague feelings the next day or even two days later. When I eat at home for days and then eat in a restaurant and I don’t feel good then I know the restaurant food uses all this stuff that you cannot buy or grow yourself.
After reading loads of books and articles about food, I think everyone should avoid all fast food resturants no matter what. Keep snacks with you at all times to avoid them. Meal prep so that you can have a fast easy dinner homemade instead of GMO ridden. Oh the fake foods they feed us and tell us it is ALL NATURAL. Boo on the fast food industry.
Candy
I think all these places are the same. Eat it once in a while and you will live, eat it everyday, even if it looks healthy, (they are in business to turn as much profit as possible), and you are risking your health.
Get a nice roast, season it with garlic powder and pepper, have a wonderful dinner with steamed vegetable right in the pot, and then have yourself a nice tub of leftovers for tomorrow.
Eating clean is easy, you just have to want to and be willing to learn a new routine.
Thanxs Vani for the great report! As a family of 5 we hardly ever eat out but it’s always good to know which places are the best because sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you have to grab a quick bite to eat. Will definitely avoid Taco Bell! I was also wondering what your thoughts were on Xanthun gum? I notice it’s in a lot of stuff! And one other ingredient I was wondering about was Annatto? In my attempt to find a grated cheese without cellulose it appears the one’s without it have the annatto instead and I’m not sure if it’s bad? Thanxs for all of your hard work! I’m a mother of 3 small children and I just don’t have the time to research it all but thanxs to you I am more informed and working towards feeding my family healthier and getting my kids started on healthy habits at a young age! God Bless!
I read that the “anti caking” agent used in pre shredded cheese is wood pulp. That’s not right. I’m glad my family and I quit eating fast food years ago.
Go to Bed, Bath,Beyond ( use a coupon, they never expire) and buy the cheese grater with the round tube and turning handle. Go to the grocery and buy Romano cheese from Europe because it has no hormones. Yes it is expensive but it will last a long time. Keep the grater and the cheese in a plastic bag in the fridge so you do not have to wash the grater except when you get a new piece of cheese. Your kids will love to grate for you!
Excellent job!! Taco Bell was the last to go on my fast food choice about 11 years ago. My 9 and 10 year old have never had fast food which absolutely amazes their friends!
I see your point that Taco Bell isn’t using the freshest ingredients, has additives that could make you very sick, and is generally unhealthy.
However, I don’t think anyone eats at Taco Bell to have a healthy diet. I think that if you’re going there, you know that you’re eating stuff that is bad for your body.
Oh, and “it’s” is only used to mean “it is”. Otherwise, no apostrophe.
Thanks Vani for awesome reports and caring so much for all of mankind.
It’s because of you I am healthier now, we like our Mag***c Bull**t
for making our own food juices foods. We grow our own garden as well for
many years now, we have no pesticides on our vegies.
I have never eaten there, and never will.
Keep up the awesome work, keep em honest:)
This is just another example of how the United States of America is a third-world country when it comes to food quality. It’s disgusting and needs to change.
Your posts are always so informative – love your research ! Do you know about non meat items on Taco Bell menu ? Like bean burrito and all. Are they so deadly as well ?
I don’t know why anyone would eat at Taco Bell when there’s a Del in the vicinity, anyway. But now I’m curious to know, as another reader questioned, if you know anything about Del Taco’s ingredients? They do claim everything is made fresh, from scratch and all natural.
Check the Del website ….. It is all the same ingredients.
Maybe Taco Bell is being used like Monsanto is for GMO seeds and evil chemicals in our food . There are many companies who make the same kinds of foods.
I haven’t eaten Taco Bell in YEARS exactly for this reason. They’ve never been up front about what all of their ingredients are. And when I was in high school and someone told me they used Grade D beef or something along those lines, I said hell no and haven’t been back since. I never went to eat there because it was “healthy”. I wanted junk food and that’s what I got, but would have liked if they had higher standards when it came to their food.
I never eat fast food, and Vani’s report doesn’t surprise me one bit. But I have to point out that only Taco Bell will survive the franchise wars. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFiDoOgRTpk
It’s interesting that some folks continue to be obsessed with MSG while in most other counties they go about their business eating this completely naturally occurring protein component every day with considerably healthier lives than the average American. And as much as Taco Bell shares these ingredient facts in their best light , Food Babe also amps up the drama to sell to her overzealous ingredient-obsessed audience (MSG has many times the concentration of glutamic acid vs. most yeast additives, but it’s a moot point either way when glutamic acid has never been proven to be harmful by a credible peer reviewed study and has yet to be banned by even the most far left “citizen protecting” governments). As with any extreme source of information… you have to understand how to take the objective value in it, and leave the puffery and salesmanship out. Food Babe could gain more credibility by sticking to criticism on more demonstrably hazardous foods and ingredients, and presenting fair balance on those ingredients which may have transient negative affects on some, but haven’t been shown to have any serious adverse health affects. As for the “making you eat more” argument, again… don’t buy it… then China should be the most overweight nation in the world yet they are far from it.
Actually the problem with MSG, is that it is added to an incredible amount of processed food. Almost every fast food restaurant, or sit down restaurant chain uses it – the grocery store shelves are full of it. The amount we use in American far surpasses the amount the asian cultures use and that’s one of the main problems I have with it. Besides, Dr. Mark Hyman (best selling author of 8 diet books) agrees with me. If you want to prevent yourself from becoming obese, this is one ingredient to look for and drop.
I’ve seen consumption levels in China estimated at between 1 and 2 pounds annually, but yet to see any studies on consumption levels in the U.S. I’d be surprised if all the cumulative glutamic acid in U.S. diets added up to more than the pure MSG added to nearly every meal in China/Japan. I’d put my focus on what else is in all those foods containing glutamic acid, in fact a growing number of experts believe it’s not the glutamic acid at all, but tyramines and histamines commonly found in the same foods.
Food Babe, not too long ago, you were raving about Miso, which is loaded with glutamic acid. Why is miso okay, but yeast not?
Most Asians do not use MSG at home when they cook. It is usually for food that is cheap or needs to sit around and still taste good.
Researchers feed MSG to baby mice to make them fat so they will have fat mice to do research on.
We don’t have a Del Taco’s nearby but we have a Moe’s that’s not too far. We also have Qdoba and Chipotle within five miles. They are all pretty good.
But but but Vani this is where my wife and I eat three times a week. Thanks for the head up and all the research that you do. I always suspected questionable ingredients in Tacosmell but I always looked the other way. This is the final nail so no more of their food for me.
I am as concerned about the contents of the fast food I eat as are the rest of you, but if you are alarmed about Taco Bell food, be alarmed about all of the others as well. If you analyse food from McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, and others, you will find as many, if not more, of these same ingredients in their food. If you are so worried about this, don’t eat any of it. On the other hand, the amounts of these “harmful” ingredients are so small that your body can successfully process and eliminate them, so as to not be of harm. A few grams of GMO flour in a burrito isn’t going to kill you. What about the harmful micro organisms you get on your hands, just from using the door handle to enter the restaurant?
I’m so glad you’ve lit into Taco Bell! I heard the most ridiculous commercial of theirs a few weeks ago, and immediately thought of you, Food Babe. Actually, now I don’t remember whether it was Taco Bell or Taco Time, but frankly, same same. They were extolling the virtues of their fresh iceberg lettuce ((a) as if iceberg lettuce had any nutrients), how they get it fresh every morning, and hand-chop it, so it’s not chopped in a factory, because you know how much they care about fresh food. HOLY cow. Um, a tiny bit beside the point. People cannot possibly fall for that nonsense, right?
I have heard how fast food industry is listed as one of the jobs seen as where people working there make the world a worse place 🙁
I think your article is well taken and for me, it says one thing, Do not eat at Taco Bell, and I don’t but, I know people that do. They will be getting this article forwarded to them.
If you eat at any fast food establishment, beware!.
Hey Food Babe, Citric Acid is ‘bad’? Sugar is ‘bad’? You’ve included basically every fruit in existence.
Citric acid is a natural by-product of a natural process. And sugar, well there’s dozens of types, but glycogen (which powers our muscles & brain) is derived directly from sugar (glucose) soooo….
How about instead of writing about things you clearly have no comprehension of you write about how we’ve replaced what a thimble of MSG could do (which was never ruled unsafe for consumption) with 3000mgs+ of sodium while Heart Disease is the #1 Killer in the US…write about that. Focus on what your actually knowledgeable about (whatever that is) because food, chemistry, and physiology aren’t them.
Soybean oil? Corn flour? Really?
I’m simply telling the truth about how it is produced. I personally avoid GMO ingredients and enjoy showing others how to as well.
I agree, Chase. Thanks for telling it like it is.
Vani, you are always so gracious to the trolls. Thank you for disseminating valuable information.
To the trolls…there is no reason to eat processed food. Fruits, veggies, nuts, meats, fish, that is what our bodies require. There is no requirement to add ANY chemical element to any food. If you choose to eat chemicals..good for you. If you don’t like or agree with what Vani is saying, then you should back up your snarky comments with truth/facts. Otherwise, go troll on some other site.
“Sugar” is bad, moron. Ever heard of inflammation, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s??? All related to high carb/sugar diets.
I had a friend in high school that worked at Taco Bell…I never ate there after she told me how they made their food. The beans (and I think the meat as well) came in a powdery form and they had to add water to them so they re-hydrated and looked like kind of normal beans and beef. I mean gross…powder meat?! No thanks!!
Thanks for the right information, Americans need more people like
you.
Anyway, who in the right mind would eat that garbish?
It is about Time these Stores are closing
thanks for this info! good for me coz i don’t eat at taco bell (and i don’t think i’ve eaten here)
I’ve heard rumours that Subway is just as bad but it’s only here say at this point. Anyone else?
We just read about that! And were so sick with the spin on those ingredients. Good food tastes good without all that junk. Eat Real Food! Use Real Products! http://simplelifemom.com
I stopped eating at taco bell almost 10 years ago because I noticed something odd every time I ate there. I became almost immediately severely depressed afterwards. I decided if I didn’t want sudden unfounded sadness I ought to not eat there.
I totally agree that making your own tacos is the best option!
For cinco de mayo I’m making some delicious fish tacos with avocado flax dressing and healthy key lime pie margaritas!! Recipe is on my blog today 🙂
Happy Cinco de Mayo!!
I first read that ABC article with the quote from the chemist saying he sees no problem w/TB. I laughed to myself. Wow, some unknown chemist, who probably got paid by TB, is telling me what’s safe to put in my body. Great, thanks!
Then I went to the TB website and read through all those descriptions and thought “is this for real??” Telling me that their garbage is ok because it’s also found in garbage cereal and other garbage grocery staple items does not make it ok!!
I would also like to add that I have never in my life eaten even a crumb from TB because I always found it repulsive. When I tell people that they act like I have 12 heads. Well, joke is on them now!
just one question:
where’s the beeef ?
Thanks Vani from the bottom of my heart and all the things in my body. Its funny, I just had Taco Bell last night (the last night) I will ever eat Taco Bell. This corrupt company is now in my sights, just like McD’s, Burger King and others. I vow to go and get all natural foods from BJ’s. They have an All Organic Section in there store and I’m going there in the morning after work. If there is an angle looking after us dumb humans, you are it and I include myself in the DUMB to, but no Longer!! Your the best and keep up the good work. Love you to infinity girrlllyyyy!!! John
Taco Bell is so gross. It’s never served real food.
Just another reason I my family does not eat Fast Food!!
http://www.laramealor.com/woot-woot-wednesday-7-things-must-fail-miserably-successful/