Kenosha Beef Recalls 2.3 Million Pounds of Taco Bell Filling Contaminated with Possible Metal Fragments

October 16, 2019 Guest Author or Contributor food, national
Seasoned beef cases label. Source: US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service
Seasoned beef cases label. Source: US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service
Kenosha Beef International, a Columbus, Ohio establishment, recalled an undetermined amount of seasoned beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal shavings, the US 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 a customer reported they found a metal shaving in their menu item. On Friday, October 11, 2019, Taco Bell immediately and voluntarily recalled approximately 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef from its restaurants and distribution centers and notified the USDA. The firm notified FSIS on October 12, 2019 that it received three customer complaints.

As of Monday, October 14, 2019, at 9am (PDT), 100% of the affected restaurants in 21 states confirmed recalled product had been removed and discarded.

The states include:

  • Connecticut
  • Deleware
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • North Carolina
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Tennessee
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
  • Washington, DC

“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.

Customers with questions should call 1-800-TACOBELL (1.800.822.6235).

 

This is a USDA Class 1 recall:  “This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

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