Aldi stores across the nation are recalling frozen chicken and cheese taquitos due to potential contamination with metal pieces, according to a notice issued by Bestway Sandwiches and posted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Saturday. This recall follows alarming reports of a consumer finding metal in the product and another incident involving a dental injury caused by the taquitos.
The affected products, produced by Valencia, California-based Bestway Foods, include 20-ounce cartons of Casa Mamita Corn Tortillas filled with chicken, cheese, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. These taquitos bear best-by dates of July 3, 2025, and September 25, 2025, and display the establishment number “EST. P-40327” on the packaging. Nearly 25,000 pounds of these products, manufactured on July 3, 2024, and September 25, 2024, were shipped to Aldi stores nationwide.
Consumers are urged to check their freezers for the recalled taquitos. The USDA has expressed concern that many of these products may still be stored in households. Customers who purchased the taquitos should either discard them immediately or return them to the store for a refund.
For further information or questions about the recall, individuals can contact Bestway Foods at 818-361-1800, extension 110.
Contamination in food processing: A recurring issue
Sometimes, foods after processing contain foreign materials such as metal, plastic, glass, etc., that result from some mechanical malfunction. These contaminants can pose serious health-threatening problems from minor injuries in the dental organs to major intestinal injury or even choking.
Past recalls have occurred. For example, last summer in 2024, Perdue Foods recalled over 167000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets and tenders because they found metal wire in them. On the same note, in November 2023, Tyson Foods recalled around 30,000 pounds of its dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets suspected to have been contaminated by metal fragments.
Recalls are often rare. It, however, signifies some loopholes in the manufacturing process. This greatly comes in with extensive vigilance from companies and other regulatory agencies such as USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in ensuring consumer safety.
Consumers can get more information regarding food recall by monitoring the USDA recall notices and product labels for signs of contamination. Such preventive measures would keep injuries from happening and food safe within the household.
