Taco Bell issued a statement Tuesday saying it had voluntarily recalled 2.3 million pounds of beef from its restaurants in 21 states, following a customer complaint of finding a metal shaving in their food.
In the statement, Taco Bell said the recall was issued on Friday, October 11, after a customer “reported they found a metal shaving in their menu item.” The seasoned beef was made at a singular plant location and sent to distribution centers in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Virginia, which was then sent out to restaurants in 21 different states. By Monday, though, “100 percent of the affected restaurants” had confirmed they had disposed of the products, according to the statement.
“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 USDA issued a press release saying it had received three customer complaints about the product but there had been “no confirmed reports of adverse reactions” as a result of eating the beef.
People began noticing over the weekend that some Taco Bell locations were out of beef and went on Twitter to express their confusion. At the time, Taco Bell told Fox News in a statement that it was working to try and replenish its supply.
“While some Taco Bell restaurants in the eastern Midwest and Northeast regions may be experiencing a shortage of seasoned beef, we are working diligently to replenish the supply in those restaurants and encourage fans to try any of our other delicious proteins like shredded chicken or steak in the meantime. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause and appreciate our customers’ patience.”
Delish reached out to Taco Bell to see if these locations were still in the process of being replenished but did not immediately hear back. For now, it may be best to call ahead or have a non-beef menu order in mind. If you have any questions about the recall, you can call 800-TACOBELL (800-822-6235).
Kristin Salaky is the news editor at Delish.com covering viral foods, product launches, and food trends. Before joining Delish, she worked as an editor at insider.com and as the front page editor for talkingpointsmemo.com. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Ohio University in 2015.
