Taco Bell Seasoned Beef Being Recalled Over Concerns Of Metal Contamination
(CNN/WJZ) -- About 2 million pounds of seasoned beef used in Taco Bell burritos and tacos have been removed from restaurant locations across the country, including in Maryland.
Kenosha Beef International recalled the products over concerns that they may be contaminated with metal shavings, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a news release.
The bags of meat were shipped from the supplier to five distribution centers and then to restaurant locations across the country, the USDA said.
Maryland is among the affected states, as is Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Washington, D.C. stores were also affected.
The restaurant chain announced Tuesday it had voluntarily recalled about 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef. By Monday, 100% of the product had been removed from all restaurants across 21 states, a Taco bell news release said.
"Nothing is more important than our customers' safety, and nothing means more to us than their trust," Julie Masino, president of North America, Taco Bell Corp., said in a news release. "As soon as we received the first consumer complaint, we immediately acted to remove the product from the affected restaurants and proactively worked with the supplier to inform the USDA of our steps to protect our guests."
The beef products were produced from September 20 to October 4, the USDA said.
There have been no confirmed reports of reactions from the products, the department said, adding "anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider."
Officials discovered the problem after a customer complained of having found a metal shaving in their food, the food chain's news release said.
"To ensure the safety of our guests, the company immediately partnered with the supplier to shut down the supply chain, remove the product from restaurants and distribution centers and notify the USDA," the release said.
The recall comes a few months after Taco Bell announced it was experiencing supplier shortages of tortillas and was "working diligently to replenish the supply."
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