Taco Bell recalls 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef from restaurants over possible metal shavings contamination
Kenosha Beef International, a Columbus, Ohio establishment, is recalling approximately 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal shavings, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Monday.
The seasoned beef items were produced on various dates from Sept. 20, 2019 to Oct. 4, 2019. The following products are subject to recall:
- Cases containing eight 5-lb. plastic bags of “TACO BELL SEASONED BEEF Taco and Burrito Filling” with use by dates of “L2 11/4/19” to “L2 11/18/19”.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 10130” on the case. These items were shipped to five distribution centers, and from there shipped to restaurant locations nationwide.
The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS on Oct. 12, 2019, that it received three customer complaints.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
As of 9 a.m. PDT, Monday, October 14, 2019, 100 percent of the affected restaurants in 21 states across the eastern Midwest, northern Southeast and Northeast regions impacted have confirmed product has been removed and discarded, the company said.
“Nothing is more important than our customers’ safety, and nothing means more to us than their trust,” said Julie Masino, President of North America, Taco Bell Corp. “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 product was produced at one plant location on only one of the two lines used to make seasoned beef. This product was sent to distribution centers in the following states: Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Virginia.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in restaurant refrigerators. Restaurants who have purchased these products are urged not to serve them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
Consumers with questions should call 1-800-822-6235. Customer service representatives will be available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
