Does Taco Bell Use Horse Meat?


When you ever have food prepared by anyone else, you have to wonder, “What am I about to eat?” Whether you are heading to a friend’s house, to a drive-through, or sitting in a restaurant for dinner, you don’t fully know what went into the preparation of the food. 

Did your friend wash their hands before making dinner? Did the cook in the back follow proper, health-safety rules when making your food? Is the beef at your favorite restaurant from a cow or a different animal?

There have been rumors that circulated in the past about Taco Bell not using real beef and instead using other types of meat such as horse meat, but is this true? 

At Taco Bell, the beef is 100% actual beef. However, in the United Kingdom, there were other animal’s meat found in the “beef” at Taco Bell. There was horse meat found through the Taco Bell chain in that country. 

There was “only” 1% of horse DNA found in the beef at Taco Bell, but that was more than enough to have all the meat removed from the stores. 

Taco Bell immediately removed that meat supplier and found a new one. 

Since it is bad for Taco Bell’s image to sell anything but real beef it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they acted so quickly to get rid of the supplier that sold them tainted meat. So although Taco Bell had a bad supplier in the UK that wasn’t using pure beef that has not been an issue elsewhere. 

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What Is Taco Bell’s Beef Made From?

When you dine out for a meal, you expect your meal to be made from great quality ingredients. If you order spaghetti from Olive Garden, you are expecting to receive spaghetti noodles and not elbow noodles. 

When you order a beefy burrito from Taco Bell, you are expecting good quality meat to fill that burrito. Where does Taco Bell beef come from?

Taco Bell partners with the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) to ensure that they get 100% premium beef. The USRSB ensures that the beef Taco Bell uses is truly beef. 

In addition to the beef, Taco Bell adds its signature blend of 7 different seasonings and spices. After the beef has been prepared, it is packaged with water to lock in the flavor and keep in moisture while being shipped to the individual restaurants. 

Each Taco Bell location has a series of steps they follow in order to ensure that the meat is prepared properly

What Are The Seven Spices Used In Taco Bell’s Beef?

Most restaurants keep all their special sauces and spices a secret. Some restaurants are a bit more strict than others when it comes to revealing exactly what goes into making their meals delicious. 

Taco Bell is not like the others, an employee created a video stating the seven different spices that are used to create the spices in the beef.

The seven seasonings that are used in Taco Bell’s meat are salt, chile pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, sugar, garlic powder, and cocoa powder. While having cocoa powder on your taco beef does not sound like it would taste good, it does. 

Cocoa powder, along with the other ingredients, is also used in a Mexican sauce known as mole. Basically, the seven spices are mole but just in powder form.

Why Is Taco Bell So Cheap?

If you are running low on cash but still want to treat yourself, fast food is typically the best option. However, not all fast-food chains are priced the same. 

Many menus have value items, but by the time you add them together to create a meal, you may as well have just ordered the meal. Some fast-food restaurants have meal deals and you can order a full meal for $5. 

Taco Bell is one of the more well-known cheap, fast-food restaurants. Not only is it a cheap fast-food option, but it is also a delicious option. 

How can Taco Bell afford to have cheap prices on its menu?

The Taco Bell franchise understands that fast-food chains are an important part of everyday life for some people. People don’t just get fast food because they are tired, there are plenty of reasons why fast food may be on the menu for the evening. 

With this in mind, Taco Bell doesn’t want its customers to break the bank just to feed their families. This is one of the reasons why Taco Bell offers several value packs. 

You can purchase a value pack and end up feeding your family for just a couple of bucks each. 

Another way Taco Bell can keep its prices cheap is by charging for any extra add ons to your meal. For example, you can order a taco and add guacamole, sour cream, and even pico de gallo. Adding all of these extras can add up to an extra dollar or more.

Why Did Taco Bell Get Rid Of Their Mexican Pizza?

Every now and then, a fast-food restaurant will update its menu. The restaurants are always trying to change up the menu to see what appeals to customers. 

For example, Taco Bell started serving nacho fries. They were a big hit but ended up coming off the menu for a while. 

The fries were then reintroduced a little while later and are now a surprise menu item. One fan favorite that used to be on the menu at Taco Bell was their Mexican Pizza.

The Mexican Pizza was removed from the menu back in November of 2020. According to the President and Global Chief Operating Officer of Taco Bell, removing some items from the menu allows for evolution to happen to their menu. Every few months or so, Taco Bell will introduce a new style of taco, burrito, or nacho to their menu.

Another reason that the Mexican Pizza may have been removed from the menu is so the restaurant can be more eco-friendly. The packaging that was used for the Mexican pizza came out to around 7 million pounds of paper a year. Removing Mexican pizza from their menu reduced all that waste.

However, don’t discount that Taco Bell might just bring back their Mexican pizza. Potatoes menu items were also dumped from the menu in 2020, but are now slowly making a comeback. The company heard the cries from the public demanding that potato items be brought back to the menu. 

Eventually, we might see a return of Mexican pizza.

Final Thoughts 

Next time you order anything with beef from the menu at Taco Bell, you can eat it with peace knowing that Taco Bell only uses premium USA beef. They also take an extra step by ensuring great beef by partnering with the USRSB. 

Next time you are running behind and need a cheap, quick, and protein-filled meal to fill your family, head over to your nearest Taco Bell and order from their value packs.

Hannah R.

Hey, I'm Hannah and I'm the founder of Get Eatin'.

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