Who Supplies Taco Bell With Its Beef?

Taco Bell's beef has become the butt of countless jokes and even a lawsuit that accused the fast-food chain of selling mystery meat consisting of just 35% beef plus fillers. That lawsuit was later withdrawn, but questions persist about the nature of the eatery's beef. (Some employees won't even eat certain meat products sold at Taco Bell.) The Tex-Mex giant has previously addressed skepticism by insisting that it uses a blend containing 88% beef. But who provides this protein?

The answer isn't a large surprise, given Taco Bell's scale and prominence: Cargill, one of the largest meat producers in North America, supplies the fast food restaurant with beef. With over 8,200 locations in the United States, Taco Bell needs a steady stream of meat. Cargill produces almost 11 billion pounds of beef annually,so it's clearly put to the task.

Fast food restaurants don't always publicize their suppliers. However, Taco Bell did so as part of a 2023 announcement that it would move towards using more sustainable beef in cooperation with Cargill. In a press release, the chain referred to Cargill as a "long-time supplier." It's not clear when the relationship began, but it's presumably slated to continue for some time. The partners' stated sustainability goals, for instance, include working together with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to capture more than 40 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually by 2030.

Cargill is the largest privately owned company in the United States, according to Forbes' 2025 rankings. That same year, the meat processor amassed revenue of around $154 billion. This amount towers over even the earnings of Taco Bell's parent company, Yum Brands, which also owns  KFC, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill. Despite having so many brands under its belt, the company's revenue in 2025 totaled around $8.2 billion. .

The agribusiness behemoth dates back to 1865, the year William Wallace Cargill bought a grain storage building in Iowa. After focusing on grain processing and animal feed for decades, the company slowly expanded into other agricultural pursuits, becoming a powerhouse in meat processing and packing by the latter half of the 20th century. William Wallace Cargill's descendants still own the company, with family members controlling an estimated 88% of the business though they're no longer running it day to day (via Forbes).

While it's not entirely clear what other businesses source their beef from Cargill, you'll likely find its beef at various supermarkets in the eastern United States. Grocery stores owned by Ahold Delhaize — Stop & Shop, Hannaford, Giant, and Food Lion — receive meat from Cargill. In fact, the latter bought two processing plants from Ahold Delhaize in 2024. Cargill has worked with McDonald's for decades.