A customer rides his bike in front of a Taco Bell restaurant in Novato, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Taco Bell said Tuesday that it has recalled about 2.3 million pounds of beef after a customer discovered a metal shaving in an order.
The Yum Brands chain voluntarily recalled the beef on Friday. As of midday Monday, 100% of the affected restaurants in 21 states across the eastern Midwest, northern Southeast and Northeast regions have removed and discarded the seasoned beef.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates the safety of meat, said in a statement that there have not been any confirmed reports of adverse reactions from consuming Taco Bell’s beef. In 2006, an E. Coli outbreak was traced back to Taco Bell and linked to contaminated spinach. The incident weighed on the chain’s sales for almost a year.
The recalled seasoned beef was made at a single plant location on one of two lines used to create the product. It was sent to distribution centers in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Virginia.
Taco Bell is one of the largest purchasers of beef in the U.S. It serves 290 million pounds of ground beef every year, according to its website.
