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>Can you make a clearer, better-cited case for "low cost chains serve meat that could barely even be called meat"? Taco bell famously admit a few years ago tha

>Can you make a clearer, better-cited case for "low cost chains serve meat that could barely even be called meat"? Taco bell famously admit a few years ago that their beef filling was only 88% beef. CBC did an investigative report in Canada recently that revealed subway's chicken was only 50% chicken. [0] The rest being a smörgåsbord of fillers. The 4 other chains studied in the tests didn't do much better. [0] https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-chicken-fast-food-1.3993967 https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-chicken-fast-fo...

rayiner 7y ago
You’re conflating two different things. One is the meat used in the Taco Bell filling, which is 100% beef. Two is the overall composition of the filling, which you’d obviously not expect to be 100% beef. (If you put onions in your taco filling, by that same math, your taco filling isn’t 100% beef either.) There is also nothing “gross” about the additives used in the filling, which are primarily there to improve texture. They are widely used and perfectly safe: https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2014/05/tacobell-beef-ingredients-revealed https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2014/05/tacobell-beef-ingredien.... (For some reason people go “eww” when soy lecithin is used at Taco Bell, but don’t utter a peep when it’s used in some fancy foam in a high end restaurant. It’s all in peoples’ heads, and there is also a large amount of classism involved.)
- inimino 7y ago
  High end restaurants aren't skimping on ingredients to survive on razor thin margins in a cut-throat value-driven market segment.
  - rayiner 7y ago
    What difference does that make?
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - inimino 7y ago
      The outcome is going to be different if a chef uses an unusual ingredient to create an experience, vs a chain using that same ingredient to cut costs, because they have different incentives. The chain has an incentive to buy from the cheapest source, and using more of a filler ingredient can help them cut costs. These factors aren't relevant for a high-end restaurant where the cost of ingredients is less significant to the bottom line.
      - JamesBarney 7y ago
        I'm pretty certain the quality control for taco bell meat sourcing is leaps and bounds better than most boutique restaurants.
        inimino 7y ago
        Leaps and bounds better, or just a much more complicated process? Because I'd put a butcher that I know and trust, and my own judgement in food preparation, ahead of any fast food supply chain process, and the same goes for any well-regarded restaurant with a basically competent chef. So... do they have a way crazier quality control process? Absolutely. Will the result be better food safety than the Michelin-starred place down the street? Not a chance.
tptacek 7y ago
Unless McDonalds is committing fraud by listing chicken breast fillet (and no other proteins) in the ingredients for its grilled chicken sandwich, this is likely measurement error. I have no idea what Subway is selling. Subway squicks me out, as does Taco Bell.
- 693471 7y ago
  Little known secret: Subway's Cold Cut Combo is all turkey COLD CUT COMBO: Turkey Bologna: Mechanically separated turkey, water, contains less than 2% of: salt, corn syrup solids, potassium lactate, dextrose, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, flavorings. Turkey Ham: Cured turkey thigh meat, salt, contains less than 2% of: potassium lactate, brown sugar, sodium tripolyphosphate, dextrose, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, smoke flavor, sodium nitrite, water. Turkey Salami: Dark turkey, mechanically separated turkey, water, salt, contains less than 2% of: potassium lactate, sugar, sodium tripolyphosphate, dextrose, spice and flavorings, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, smoke flavor, sodium nitrite So plant based milks can't be called milk, plant based proteins can't be called meats, but hot dogs can be called hot dogs and have no dog meat in them, riced cauliflower is under attack, Parmesan (cheese byproduct and sawdust) in a can is considered not misleading, a California Port wine is impossible but nobody cares, etc Subway's Salami, Ham, and Bologna can be made with turkey instead of the cuts you'd expect because money. It's always about money. They want consumers buying their products in stores and if you buy enough product for your restaurants you can call it anything you want. America.
  - phonypc 7y ago
    >Parmesan (cheese byproduct and sawdust) Nitpicky, but this is itself misleading. Canned parm is mostly actual cheese, it's just... not very good. "Sawdust" is there in small amounts for anti-caking purposes, not bulking.
    - toxik 7y ago
      I can only speak for myself but I strongly prefer zero sawdust in my parmesan.
phonypc 7y ago
As pointed out elsewhere, taco beef shouldn't be expected to be near 100% beef. Adding various seasonings and spices is what makes it "taco." Your linked article makes the point that other chains hit the expected values for prepared chicken, Subway was an outlier.
deleted 7y ago
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dghughes 7y ago
Ever look at powdered Parmesan cheese shakers? Cellulose is added to prevent clumping and I suppose as filler too. You're eating pretty much something very close to sawdust in the cheese.

rayiner 7y ago

You’re conflating two different things. One is the meat used in the Taco Bell filling, which is 100% beef. Two is the overall composition of the filling, which you’d obviously not expect to be 100% beef. (If you put onions in your taco filling, by that same math, your taco filling isn’t 100% beef either.) There is also nothing “gross” about the additives used in the filling, which are primarily there to improve texture. They are widely used and perfectly safe: https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2014/05/tacobell-beef-ingredients-revealed https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2014/05/tacobell-beef-ingredien.... (For some reason people go “eww” when soy lecithin is used at Taco Bell, but don’t utter a peep when it’s used in some fancy foam in a high end restaurant. It’s all in peoples’ heads, and there is also a large amount of classism involved.)

inimino 7y ago
High end restaurants aren't skimping on ingredients to survive on razor thin margins in a cut-throat value-driven market segment.
- rayiner 7y ago
  What difference does that make?
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - inimino 7y ago
    The outcome is going to be different if a chef uses an unusual ingredient to create an experience, vs a chain using that same ingredient to cut costs, because they have different incentives. The chain has an incentive to buy from the cheapest source, and using more of a filler ingredient can help them cut costs. These factors aren't relevant for a high-end restaurant where the cost of ingredients is less significant to the bottom line.
    - JamesBarney 7y ago
      I'm pretty certain the quality control for taco bell meat sourcing is leaps and bounds better than most boutique restaurants.
      - inimino 7y ago
        Leaps and bounds better, or just a much more complicated process? Because I'd put a butcher that I know and trust, and my own judgement in food preparation, ahead of any fast food supply chain process, and the same goes for any well-regarded restaurant with a basically competent chef. So... do they have a way crazier quality control process? Absolutely. Will the result be better food safety than the Michelin-starred place down the street? Not a chance.

tptacek 7y ago

Unless McDonalds is committing fraud by listing chicken breast fillet (and no other proteins) in the ingredients for its grilled chicken sandwich, this is likely measurement error. I have no idea what Subway is selling. Subway squicks me out, as does Taco Bell.

693471 7y ago
Little known secret: Subway's Cold Cut Combo is all turkey COLD CUT COMBO: Turkey Bologna: Mechanically separated turkey, water, contains less than 2% of: salt, corn syrup solids, potassium lactate, dextrose, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, flavorings. Turkey Ham: Cured turkey thigh meat, salt, contains less than 2% of: potassium lactate, brown sugar, sodium tripolyphosphate, dextrose, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, smoke flavor, sodium nitrite, water. Turkey Salami: Dark turkey, mechanically separated turkey, water, salt, contains less than 2% of: potassium lactate, sugar, sodium tripolyphosphate, dextrose, spice and flavorings, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, smoke flavor, sodium nitrite So plant based milks can't be called milk, plant based proteins can't be called meats, but hot dogs can be called hot dogs and have no dog meat in them, riced cauliflower is under attack, Parmesan (cheese byproduct and sawdust) in a can is considered not misleading, a California Port wine is impossible but nobody cares, etc Subway's Salami, Ham, and Bologna can be made with turkey instead of the cuts you'd expect because money. It's always about money. They want consumers buying their products in stores and if you buy enough product for your restaurants you can call it anything you want. America.
- phonypc 7y ago
  >Parmesan (cheese byproduct and sawdust) Nitpicky, but this is itself misleading. Canned parm is mostly actual cheese, it's just... not very good. "Sawdust" is there in small amounts for anti-caking purposes, not bulking.
  - toxik 7y ago
    I can only speak for myself but I strongly prefer zero sawdust in my parmesan.

phonypc 7y ago

As pointed out elsewhere, taco beef shouldn't be expected to be near 100% beef. Adding various seasonings and spices is what makes it "taco." Your linked article makes the point that other chains hit the expected values for prepared chicken, Subway was an outlier.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

dghughes 7y ago

Ever look at powdered Parmesan cheese shakers? Cellulose is added to prevent clumping and I suppose as filler too. You're eating pretty much something very close to sawdust in the cheese.