Taco Bell's Refried Beans Are Not Vegan

[spudstud]

Hello,
I just wanted to tell you guys that Taco Bell's refried beans are not vegan!!! I was shocked to find out that the refried beans are made with lard. I always heard that vegans went to taco bell and just ordered stuff with beans instead of meat...and my neighbor told me about the lard so I went to TB and asked and yes it's true. Sorry guys... If you've been going to Taco Bell and eating refried beans instead of meat...you've consumed lard. Bummer huh. Well, no more TB for me. I think the cinnamon twists are vegan.
- Matt

NEVERMIND - NEVERMIND - NEVERMIND - Sorry :p

[Artichoke47]

I think you were misinformed, Spudstud. Maybe the employee didn't know any better.

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/fast.htm

[spudstud]

Okay, I'm calling 1 - 800 - taco - bell - you are right. They are vegan....woops! Sorry!

Okay, they used to not be vegan, but they are made with vegetable shortening now...so they are. Feeew *wipes forhead*. Sorry.
- Matt

P.S. That is weird because the empolyee was acting like he was for sure that they were made with lard...hmmmm...weird. Oh well, according to you guys they are vegan, so I guess I'm happy about that!

[spudstud]

Yay!
- Matt

[John]

I would not trust anything from Taco Bell if God Himself told me it was vegan.

[Artichoke47]

Yeah, I wouldn't eat there, either. I don't really go to omnivorous restaurants. I'll go to a lacto-ovo establishment only if I trust them, like Chicago Diner or something.

[ConsciousCuisine]

I'm with you, John and Artichoke. Shiva, God, Buddha, Durga and Lucifer could tell me they were vegan and I'd be like : "Oh. That's nice." :(

[8 winks]

what about the guacamole there? my bf works at a taco bell and he brings me home lbs of free guac! it's so addictive. please tell me that it's vegan

[spudstud]

You can call 1-800-taco-bell and find out.
- Matt

[aduchesne]

they are terribly unhealthy, laden with trans fats, but they don't have lard. Here is the ingredient list, from http://www.yum.com/nutrition/documents/tb_ingredient_statement.pdf


Beans *

Pinto Beans, Partially Hydrogenated Corn Oil (Freshness Preserved With TBHQ), Salt, Calcium Chloride.
Pinto Beans, Partially Hydrogenated Corn Oil (With TBHQ To Preserve Freshness), Salt

*Will Contain One Of The Ingredient Statements Above, Depending Upon Regional Suppliers

[OddsofanAnimal]

"Taco Bell stressed that while the ingredients listed above may be categorized as acceptable for certain types of vegetarian diets, all ingredients are handled by employees in common with other ingredients which may not be acceptable to certain types of vegetarian diets."

Just knowing that its all prepaired on the same table, who knows whats getting into your food. Plus isnt your money still going to their support of Flesh eating? Just because your money is put into buying a veg*n taco, doesnt mean they arent using that money to buy meat. Seems pointless in my opinion.

Making your own food is the safest bet

=OOAA

[Pilaf]

This is utter crap...I JUST ate some of those..admittedly it was the store bought kind, and of the "fat free" variety. I guess I'll have to start making my own at home.

[ALexiconofLove]

Plus isnt your money still going to their support of Flesh eating? Just because your money is put into buying a veg*n taco, doesnt mean they arent using that money to buy meat. Seems pointless in my opinion.

Hm, from another perspective, big corporations are primarily interested in making money, so if we show them that vegan foods can be profitable (by consuming them) we encourage them to offer more vegan choices. More vegan choices at "normal" restaurants and from "normal" companies makes vegan food seem more normal and might encourage people to eat more vegan food. It also makes it easier for people to go vegan (because there are more options around).

I confess to eating at Taco Bell. Don't feel too badly about it. I also buy vegan products at the grocery made by companies that sell meat and dairy or products that contain meat or dairy. It seems pretty hard not to!

[missbettie]

^ I agree... I don't want to perpetuate the idea that vegans can't eat anywhere...but I definately know where you are coming from oddofananimal. But in general i just hate supporting fast food, such a horrible invention...

[Risker]

Just because your money is put into buying a veg*n taco, doesnt mean they arent using that money to buy meat. Seems pointless in my opinion.


Not really, if they run out of salad they aren't going to buy meat to replace it with are they? "Sorry sir we'd run out of beef steak tomatoes for your salad so we used actual beef steak instead"

[missbettie]

^ little do you know... :D

[Fuhzy]

Actually I have been meaning to call them about this. (For the US) if you check their website, many of their ingredients are vegan, but on the allergen list, they list milk in nearly all their products. What do people make of this?

http://www.yum.com/nutrition/documents/tb_ingredient_statement.pdf

http://www.yum.com/nutrition/allergen/allergen_tb.asp

[Mahk]

Fuhzy, keep in mind most people don't ask for "no cheese" like we do so of course almost all their stuff has dairy. I think also, if you've ever seen how their assembly line works, they look up at a monitor and scoop up and insert various listed ingredients that inevitably get partly contaminated with each other. [those gloved fingers that just dropped a little lettuce in my taco may have dropped a little cheese in the previous order] This is how any restaurant works, I think. I occasionally get a tiny little bit of cheese that I discard (and get a little upset, but I move on). They have to warn people of this "cross contamination" to avoid law suits from people who are so allergic they go into anaphalaptic (sp?) shock. Sure they could change their gloves per every product/order, but that would be a huge waste of hundreds of gloves per day per employee and not very environmentally friendly if you ask me. How many cows lives would be saved if they did it that way instead? None! It just means I don't get upset that there is a tiny shred of cheese in my taco.

I always order bean tacos , no meat, "fresco". That's their marketing term for "no cheese but with tomato" (pico ?) at no additional charge. Cool.

[OddsofanAnimal]

In no way am i saying that they are gonna replace salad with beef. Im saying That your money isnt put in the "salad fund" Its put into Taco Bells Fund. which buys meat.

I dont know about you others but id get very upset if I knew there was a possibility i was eating ANY type of animal produce. Blood is blood no matter how you put it.

If I found out that my favorite Store also sold animal products on the side why would i support that? even if they did try to reach out to the vegan crowd?

I make sure i only buy produce from Homegrown Vegans, or local produce stores that only sell Produce.


WHY WHY WHY Give you money to anyone selling meat?!? Unless its a totally vegan Corp. your still buying meat weather you eat it or not. Not very "vegan" in my opinion.

=OOAA

[missbettie]

i've heard about the bean tacos, do you just ask for them? or do you have to explain it most of the time? i miss the tacos...

[Roxy]

Aren't Taco Bell owned by the same company that owns KFC?

[missbettie]

ooo right aren't they owned by pepsi or something?

[Fuhzy]

"Yum! Brands, Inc. or Yum! is a Fortune 500 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortune_500) corporation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation), that operates or licenses Taco Bell (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taco_Bell), KFC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KFC), Pizza Hut (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza_Hut), and Long John Silver's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_John_Silver%27s) restaurants worldwide, and A&W Restaurants (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26W_Restaurants) everywhere but Canada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26W_%28Canada%29). Based in Louisville (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville%2C_Kentucky), Kentucky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky), it is the world's largest fast food (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_food) restaurant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant) company in terms of system units — over 35,000 restaurants around the world in more than 110 countries and territories. In 2007, Yum!'s global sales (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_sales) totalled more than US$ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar)10 billion."


Yeah, no Taco Bell for me...

[missbettie]

well ain't this thread a waste of time...damnit!!!! stupid peoples!


well its not a waste of time...at least now i know...now i'm sad...:(

[Roxy]

Yah - let's not give our money to them. Let's support the small, independant guys instead. And if the small independant guys don't make vegan tacos, let's ask them to!