A newly launched Taco Bell web page lists all of the ingredients used in their menu items, including their once-secret seasoned ground beef recipe.
In addition to listing all recipe items on their ingredient statement page, Taco Bell posted a FAQ section responding to common food safety concerns.
Taco Bell stated that its "seasoned beef," found in the majority of its menu items, is actually only 88% cow. The other 12% is its "Signature Recipe," which starts with "salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, sugar, garlic powder, and cocoa powder," according to the site. The manufacturers then add "a little oats, yeast, citric acid, and other ingredients" to the beef and water mixture.
These "other ingredients" include cellulose, maltodextrin, soy lecithin, "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," sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate.
On the website, Taco Bell explained what some of these compounds are, and why they are used in their meals.
"Cellulose is a safe carbohydrate found in the cell walls of plants and helps with water and oil binding," they stated, and "trehalose is a naturally occurring sugar that we use to improve the taste of our seasoned beef."
The company also responded to the popular myth that their beef is USDA Grade D.
Taco Bell said that not only do Grade D ratings not exist, but their seasoned beef uses premium meat.
"We use the same quality beef used in all ground beef (like you'd find in the grocery store)-- only USDA-inspected, 100% premium real beef, period," the company said.
The company also stated that it can sell its food at low prices not because of low quality ingredients, but because it buys in bulk.
Taco Bell spokesman Rob Poetsch explained the reason for the increased transparency in its menu ingredients.
"We believe it's important that consumers make informed decisions about what they eat, and so for many years have provided details of our ingredients on our website," Poetsch told ABC News.
