FYI, Taco Bell Voluntarily Recalled Over 2 Million Pounds Of Ground Beef
It's no secret that people with busy schedules rely on their favorite fast food spots to pick up the slack when it comes to preparing dinner from time to time. Heck, even on slow days I find myself craving a Doritos Locos Taco or Crunchwrap Supreme. If you're similarly inclined to stopping by the drive-thru once hanger hits, you might want to pay attention to Taco Bell's voluntary recall of ground beef. It might just affect your go-to order.
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, Taco Bell shared an official news release about the recall, which stated: "On Friday, Oct. 11, Taco Bell took immediate action and voluntarily recalled approximately 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef from its restaurants and distribution centers." So, some customers looking for beef in their tacos and burritos in any of the locations in the 21 affected states throughout the Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast regions of the country may need to adjust to chicken or steak. As of 9 a.m. PT on Monday, Oct. 14, 100% of the affected product was removed from the locations it was previously shipped to.
Apparently, the issue was discovered when a customer reportedly found "a metal shaving in their menu item," according to the release. Julie Masino, President of North America, Taco Bell Corp, spoke to that point in the release, explaining, "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." Masino also emphasized that "nothing is more important than our customers’ safety, and nothing means more to us than their trust." Elite Daily reached out to Taco Bell for further comment on the recall, and the brand directed us to its official press release.
According to the official recall notice from Kenosha Beef International on Oct. 14, the Columbus, Ohio-based meat supplier announced a recall on "an undetermined amount of seasoned beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal shavings," as announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Per the recall, the production dates of the affected product were from Sept. 20 through Oct. 4, 2019, and the affected product is listed as cases containing eight 5-pound bags of "Taco Bell Seasoned Beef Taco and Burrito Filling."
If you're worried about the prospect of getting sick from the possibly affected product, it might ease your mind to know that, according to the USDA, "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." Per the official Taco Bell release, the company immediately notified the USDA when it became aware of the reported issue, and it worked with Kenosha Beef International to shut down the supply chain and remove the product from the restaurants where it was already distributed.
TBH, I'd like to think that dousing your taco in Fire Sauce can fix just about anything, but I'm glad to know that Taco Bell took the proper steps to recall the possibly affected beef. As of publication, the product in question is no longer in the stores, but if you have any further questions, you can call 1-800-TACOBELL (1-800-822-6235), where customer service representatives will be available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m until 4 p.m. PT.
