Taco Bell Corp. announced the removal of green onions from all of its U.S. restaurants Wednesday, following E.coli outbreaks in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
According to a corporate statement released Wednesday morning, the company has been working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration to determine the cause of the outbreak.
It is not yet clear whether green onions specifically led to the spread of E.coli, but after ""presumptive positive"" test results, the company decided to eliminate them from all of its menus.
""In an abundance of caution, we've decided to pull all green onions from our restaurants until we know conclusively whether they are the cause of the E.coli outbreak,"" said Taco Bell President Greg Creed.
There are currently 5,800 Taco Bell restaurants nationwide, all offering the same standard fare of tacos, burritos and various other Mexican-themed meals. Dozens of Taco Bells dot the Madison area, and the franchise at 534 State St. is highly popular with UW-Madison students looking for late-night fare.
According to Mark Wilson, manager of the State Street Taco Bell, business was steady Wednesday despite a lack of green onions.
""Nobody said anything about it at all,"" Wilson said. ""Nobody has really noticed.""
Green onions are not central to most Taco Bell menu items. However, they are used as garnish on a number of plates, including Mexican Rice and Nachos Bell Grande.
Despite Wilson's contention that customers have not been bothered by the absence of onions, students who consider them an important element of any Border Bowl or Mexican Pizza are not taking the E.coli outbreak lightly.
Adam Slavens, a UW-Madison sophomore who described himself a member of Taco Bell's ""rather loyal 3 a.m. clientele,"" said the bite of green onions helps offset the strong tastes of the restaurants beans and beef.
""Being that the meat of Taco Bell isn't high quality, it's the little things that make the food count,"" Slavens said. ""Like green onions.""
According to Taco Bell President Creed, the restaurant expects to re-introduce green onions to its menus after determining the cause of the E.coli outbreak and ensuring the safety of its customers.
