Taco Bell recalled 2.3 million pounds of beef from locations in 21 states after a customer found metal in a menu item

The beef was recalled after a customer discovered a piece of metal in a menu item.
Taco Bell said that, as of Monday, all impacted beef had been discarded.
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Taco Bell recalled 2.3 million pounds of beef after a customer said they found metal in a menu item.

On Tuesday, Taco Bell announced that it had voluntarily recalled roughly 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef from restaurants and distribution centers on Friday, October 11. As of Monday, all restaurants in the 21 states in the eastern Midwest, northern Southeast, and Northeast that had been shipped the product in question had discarded the beef, Taco Bell said in a press release.

A Taco Bell customer tipped off the chain about the potential issue after finding a metal shaving in a menu item.

"Nothing is more important than our customers' safety, and nothing means more to us than their trust," Julie Masino, Taco Bell's president of North America, said in a statement. "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."

There have not been any reports of injury or illness related to the recall, according to the USDA.

Following the customer complaint, Taco Bell partnered with a supplier to shut down the supply chain, remove the beef from locations and distribution centers, and notify the USDA. According to Taco Bell, the beef was produced at a single line at one plant location.

Customers were confused and annoyed over the weekend when they attempted to order menu items made with beef at Taco Bell and were told that the chain did not have any in stock. On Monday, Taco Bell framed the issue as a "shortage of seasoned beef" in certain locations.

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