Taco Bell shares what the 'other' ingredients are in its beef

Taco Bell shares what the &#039;other&#039; ingredients are in its beef

(Image credit: Facebook.com/TacoBell)

last updated 8 January 2015

The mystery of the meat is now solved.

After word spread that Taco Bell’s beef is 88 percent meat and 12 percent "other," consumers began clamoring for details on what exactly "other" means. Taco Bell decided to share that information and more on its website, in a handy page that answers such questions as "Is it Grade D meat?" and "What's the deal with soy lecithin?"

The site breaks down each ingredient — like torula yeast, maltodextrin, and lactic acid — and not only explains what it is, but also why it's good for the meat (for instance, sodium phosphates are used to make sure the beef is the right texture). This should make people happy, Dr. Derek Lowe, a chemist and blogger, tells ABC News. He said that while he understands why people might be confused by the ingredients, he has "no patience" with the argument "If I can't pronounce it, I won't eat it." "There's nothing on this list I have a problem eating," he said.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.