Maybe there's something to the urban myth.
While there's no such thing as Grade D meat — in your chalupa or your McKinley Grill burger — there could be plenty of fillers in the meat being used, according to a law suit filed against the Taco Bell Corporation last week.
The class action suit claims that products advertised as "seasoned ground beef" or "seasoned beef" don't meet the minimum requirements for products marked as such. Dee Miles and other attorneys had Taco Bell's "meat mixture" tested and found it contained less than 35 percent beef, according to CBS News.
But at least it's labeled correctly.
"Taco Bell refers to its ‘seasoned ground beef' and ‘seasoned beef' as ‘taco meat filling,' even labeling the containers shipped to its restaurants correctly, while not telling its customers," plaintiff Amanda Obney said in the complaint.
The company's definition of "seasoned beef" isn't the same as a consumer's reasonable expectation or ordinary meaning of seasoned beef, she said in the document.
In a statement released the same day as the filing, Taco Bell addressed the lawsuit without remorse.
"At Taco Bell, we buy our beef from the same trusted brands you find in the supermarket, like Tyson Foods," President Greg Creed said. "We are proud of the quality of our beef and identify all the seasoning and spice ingredients on our website."
The suit could cost Taco Bell $5 million or more, according to the complaint that was filed. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc. and is the largest Mexican fast-food chain in the United States. It has more than 5,600 locations in the U.S. and had more than $1.9 billion in sales in 2009.
Ball State tries to provide healthy food options on campus, including buffets at three dining locations and a new Quizno's at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Still hundreds of students bustle through the L.A. Pittenger Student Center every day for the cheap, Mexican-style fast food. With 89-cent tacos and $2 meal deals, Taco Bell is a favorite on campus.
Senior construction management major Adrian Russell said he wasn't too shocked when he heard about the lawsuit.
"If you were to tell me the beef I'm eating right now [at Taco Bell] isn't 100 percent beef, I wouldn't be surprised," he said. "Almost all the food Americans eat, whether we get it at McDonald's or the grocery store, is processed."
Junior biology and history major Andy Lester said the [United States Department of Agriculture] rating system is jaded.
"I go to Taco Bell every once in a while, and I've found bits of bone and other particles in their beef," he said.
For other students, low prices outweigh the poor food quality.
"I don't eat it often enough for it to even matter," said Jessica Munn, junior religious studies and anthropology major. "I get it because it's quick and cheap."
Olivia Williams contributed to this story.
Quick facts
Jan. 19 - Taco Bell sued for not meeting the minimum federal requirements for "seasoned ground beef" or "seasoned beef" products
$5 million - cost of the lawsuit, according to a complaint filed by the plaintiff
5,600 Taco Bell locations across the U.S.
$1.9 billion - sales for Taco Bell Corporation in 2009
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