More than 2.4 million pounds of ready-to-eat beef and chicken taquitos were recalled following fears they could be contaminated with salmonella and listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.
The Texas-based Ruiz Food Products recalled approximately 2,490,593 pounds of its taquito products from across the country following fears they had been adulterated by the bacteria.
The products in question, which were produced from July 1 through October 10, are:
- 4.5-pound cardboard cases containing 24-count Go-Go Taquitos Beef Taco & Cheese Taquitos with case code 86183 printed on the label.
- 4.5-pound cardboard cases containing 24-count Go-Go Taquitos Buffalo Style Cooked Glazed Chicken Taquitos with case code 86006 printed on the label.
- 4.5-pound cardboard cases containing 24-count Go-Go Taquitos Chipotle Chicken Wrapped in a Battered Flour Tortilla with case code 86019 printed on the label.
The products have the establishment numbers 17523A or P-17523A and 45694 or P-45694, and were distributed nationwide.
"FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase," the department said in a statement.
There have been no reports of anyone falling ill due to consuming the taquitos.
Ruiz Food said the problem was spotted on October 16 after the company was notified that the diced onions used in their beef and cheese taquitos were being recalled by their supplier due to concerns over the potential presence of listeria monocytogenes and salmonella.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, salmonella is the leading known cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the U.S causing an estimated 1.2 million illnesses and between 400 and 500 deaths every year.
Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever from within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product. Most people can recover from a bout of salmonella without treatment. However, in some cases, diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal illnesses. Symptoms are more severe for pregnant women, who can suffer miscarriages, stillbirths or risk passing on a life-threatening infection to the newborn.
Exposure can also be fatal for older people or those with weakened immune systems. An infection can be treated with antibiotics.
