US Man Sues Taco Bell Over Filling Size, Seeks upwards of $5 Million

Taco Bell shop is seen during the opening ceremony of a Taco
Bell restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand January 22, 2019. Picture taken
January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
Taco Bell shop is seen during the opening ceremony of a Taco Bell restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand January 22, 2019. Picture taken January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
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US Man Sues Taco Bell Over Filling Size, Seeks upwards of $5 Million

Taco Bell shop is seen during the opening ceremony of a Taco
Bell restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand January 22, 2019. Picture taken
January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
Taco Bell shop is seen during the opening ceremony of a Taco Bell restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand January 22, 2019. Picture taken January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

A New York man unhappy with the amount of meat and beans filling he received in his Taco Bell pizza, has sued the fast food chain, requesting a recompense of $5 million.

According to the Washington Post, the class-action lawsuit filed in US District Court in Brooklyn, New York, says: “Frank Siragusa would not have paid the $5.49 price, if he knew that the Mexican Pizza he bought last September had approximately half the beef and bean filling shown in adverts.”

The lawsuit Siragusa filed on behalf of himself and other customers who were left similarly disappointed with items, includes photos showing generous quantities of chicken, meat, guacamole, cheese and tomatoes similar to those used in the advert of Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, which also owns KFC and Pizza Hut.

He also submitted an image of the “actual” pizza he was served in a Taco Bell branch, in New York.

Siragusa is seeking upwards of $5 million from the chain for “unfair and deceptive trade practices.”

“Taco Bell’s actions are especially concerning now that inflation, food, and meat prices are very high and many consumers, especially lower income consumers, are struggling financially,” the lawsuit adds.

New York-based Taco Bell, which was founded in 1962 by Glen Bell, and was once owned by the giant PepsiCo, did not respond to request for comment from AFP and U.S. media.



Hundreds Evacuated as Greece Wildfire Rages on Crete

Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis
Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis
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Hundreds Evacuated as Greece Wildfire Rages on Crete

Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis
Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis

A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of locals and tourists, officials said on Thursday.

Greece is sweltering in a heatwave that is searing much of southern Europe, said AFP.

The country has become particularly vulnerable in recent years to summer wildfires, which are fueled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change.

Local media said around 1,500 people had to be evacuated because of the blaze, which broke out on Wednesday evening.

"Evacuations took place in numerous hotels and tourists were safely transferred to a closed gymnasium in the municipality of Ierapetra," vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis told TV channel Mega, referring to the holiday town in the southeast.

He said the authorities acted because water bomber planes could not reach the affected areas overnight.

"At the moment, there are three active fronts," Androulakis said. "Because of the strong winds, the fire has progressed quite rapidly."

Around 270 firefighters, 10 helicopters and drones have been deployed to tackle the blaze, said Vassilios Vathrakoyannis, a spokesman for the fire service.

They include reinforcements sent in from the capital, Athens.

"There are still a number of different fronts. The fire is burning scrubland and crops," he said.

"The winds are very strong -- up to nine on the Beaufort scale."

- Uneven, arid terrain -

Crete, Greece's largest island, has an arid, uneven landscape criss-crossed by gullies, making it difficult for firefighters to tackle the blaze.

The fire has damaged both houses and crops in fruit and vegetable greenhouses, local media said.

Like the rest of Crete, Ierapetra –- a seaside resort with a population of 23,000 -- takes in thousands of tourists in the summer.

Vathrakoyannis said the authorities would assess the extent of the damage once the fire had been brought under control.

He stressed the risk of fires was "considerable" in July, the hottest month of the year in Greece.

Until now, Greece had been more or less spared the heatwave that has gripped other parts of southern Europe.

The country recorded its hottest ever summer last year when 45,000 hectares were torched, according to WWF Greece and the Athens National Observatory.

In terms of surface area destroyed, 2023 was the worst on record.

Nearly 175,000 hectares were obliterated and 20 people died during a series of prolonged heatwaves when temperatures rose in places to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit).