The class-action lawsuit against Taco Bell that claimed that the fast food chain's "seasoned beef" wasn't real beef has been dropped.

The law firm Beasley Allen, based in Alabama, said the suit had been resolved after Taco Bell made changes to its marketing and product disclosure.

The lawsuit, filed in January in federal court in California, alleged that the meat mixture that Taco Bell uses in burritos and tacos contained so many binders and extenders, it no longer met the U.S. Department of Agriculture's definition of "beef."

The law firm said it had the meat mixture tested and found it contained less than 35 per cent beef. The firm would not say who tested the meat or give any other specifics of the analysis.

The firm said its plaintiffs didn't want monetary damages; they simply wanted the court to order Taco Bell to be honest in its advertising.

Beasley Allen said it withdrew the suit after Taco Bell made changes to its marketing and product disclosure.

"From the inception of this case, we stated that if Taco Bell would make certain changes regarding disclosure and marketing of its 'seasoned beef' product, the case could be dismissed," attorney Dee Miles said in a statement.

But on Monday, Taco Bell insisted that the lawsuit was voluntarily withdrawn by the firm and that the allegations were "absolutely wrong." It said no money was exchanged and it is not changing any of its products or advertising.

Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed told the Associated Press that his company "took great exception to the false claims" made about their beef. He added that he wished the attorneys had contacted them before filing and publicizing a lawsuit "that disparaged our brand."

After the lawsuit was launched in January, the allegations against Taco Bell went "viral" on the Web. The restaurant chain responded with an advertising blitz, taking out full-page ads in at least nine major newspapers with the deliberately cheeky headline: "Thank you for suing us."

It also aired TV ads and launched a YouTube campaign -- all to proclaim that its taco filling is indeed 88 per cent beef. The rest is water, spices and a mixture of oats, starch and other ingredients that Taco Bell says provides its "signature texture and taste."

The full list of ingredients in Taco Bell's seasoned beef is on its website.