USA: Taco Bell responds to Kraft voluntary recall

The following is a statement issued by Taco Bell Corporation:"The health and safety of our customers is our top priority. We only use the highest quality ingredients in Taco Bell products, in strict compliance with the FDA, EPA and other federal guidelines. We specifically prohibit the use of any ingredient that hasn't been approved by the FDA."As soon as we learned of a claim made about Kraft's grocery store taco shells, we began studying the matter. While our restaurant taco shells are a different recipe than Kraft's, we wanted to determine whether ours contain the same unapproved corn variety claimed to be in Kraft's product. To date, the tests are inconclusive and we remain in regular and close contact with FDA on this issue."We also directed our suppliers to immediately purchase corn flour from different facilities than the Texas plants, where the suspect ingredient may have come from. Our suppliers are now are purchasing the corn flour from Indiana and California."We have initiated the substitution of our current taco shells at all 7,000 Taco Bell restaurants. We expect to have these new shells in our restaurants within one week from today. We are moving as swiftly and aggressively as possible."In the meantime, we are unaware of any known health risks associated with this corn variety. Nor have we received a single consumer complaint. Nonetheless, we continue to take the matter seriously and we will continue to fully cooperate with the FDA."