You still don't get that each case is decided on its own merits. I mean, seriously, it is pointless to give examples that use different words and different imagery to describe a different product. It's even more pathetic when it's just an example you pull out of thin air.
You seem hung up on what constitutes seasoning. Just because Taco Bell calls that stuff seasoning doesn't mean it is just like if you call a dog's tail a leg doesn't make it a five-legged dog. So, I'll try to help you understand the thought process a bit better by showing how I would attack the case on behalf of the complainant.
Do seasoning packets one buys in the store contain starches? Yes, they do. Combined with water, it helps the seasoning form a "paste" that sticks to the meat.
Does Taco Bell's seasoning contain starches? Yep.
Does Taco Bell seasoning contain anything else besides starches and "traditional seasonings?" Yes. It contains oats and isolated oat product.
Do grocery store seasoning packets contain these oat products? No.
Does Taco Bell's brand of taco seasoning packets contain oats? No.
Do any of the other Taco Bell products (carne asada, chicken) contain seasonings? Yes.
Do the above contain oats? No.
How is isolated oat product marketed? One listed use is as a meat extender.
If I were to create two versions of taco meat filling, one with oats and isolated oat product and another without, could I visually distinguish the two? No.
In the above, could I distinguish them by flavor? No. The oats are essentially tasteless.
Could I distinguish the texture? Possibly. It would depend on the percentage of oats. It works well as a meat extender for ground beef because it forms a similar texture.
If I used these oat products in, for example, the chicken tacos, would I be able to visually distinguish them? Yes. It would look like pieces of chicken with ground beef interspersed.
At that point I would argue that the "seasoning" for the ground beef is actually a combination of seasoning and meat extender. That would then lead us what I keep saying is the central question: Is that what people would expect to get based on the advertising?
If California decides that its citizens expect seasoned ground beef to not include oats, I would find that reasonable. If they decide that people expect cheap tacos are likely to have extenders in them, I'd be OK with that as well if a bit surprised.
Why would I be surprised? Because Taco Bell tells people to "think outside the bun." The implication is that there's an alternate way to consume hamburgers. The ingredients are similar (beef, cheese, lettuce) with the major difference being the tortilla instead of the bun. If you go looking around at burger places, you will not find them using anything that could remotely be considered a meat extender (oats, texturized vegetable protein). The seasonings sometimes have starches like corn starch or wheat flour, but nothing like oats.
BTW, I'm sorry if I sounded condescending to you a while back. I didn't think you'd notice.
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