Taco Bell Is Facing A Lawsuit Over Falsely Advertised Beef Fillings

Taco Bell is being taken to court for false advertising after a New York man received a disappointing Mexican Pizza. According to Reuters, Frank Siragusa filed a class action lawsuit against the chain, claiming the food he received looked nothing like the ads for the product and contained far less meat and toppings than he anticipated. The lawsuit was filed in Brooklyn federal court on July 31 on behalf of Siragusa and other customers disappointed by the actual appearance of Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza items and several varieties of the chain's Crunchwraps, which have also come under scrutiny online recently by fans for their apparent scaling back of fillings.

The lawsuit claims, with the support of photographic evidence, that the snacks in question contained only half the fillings depicted in the company's advertisements and claims the plaintiff would never have purchased them had he realized how much smaller they would be in real life. The lawsuit argues the misleading ads are damaging to consumers, especially at a time of significant inflation, as many may be looking for a meal on a budget and the smaller-than-promised items cost over $5 each.

Siragusa is seeking $5 million in damages to be split as reimbursement among customers who purchased the smaller-than-promised products in New York state in the last three years. The Washington Post also notes that the lawsuit demands Taco Bell either start being truthful in the visual advertising of its products or stop selling them altogether. The latter would likely be met with disappointment, as both the Mexican Pizza and the various Crunchwraps are incredibly popular items. The Mexican Pizza was discontinued in 2020 while restaurants were facing pandemic-related supply chain struggles and were only brought back in 2022 after extreme fan outcry, including a petition signed by over 170,000 people.

Taco Bell and its parent company, Yum Brands, have not yet offered a public statement on the lawsuit, though they are not the first fast food company to be sued for misleading ads. According to Reuters, the same attorneys representing Siragusa have also filed similar suits against McDonald's and Wendy's all over the advertised size of its burgers versus the meals customers are actually given.