AZLE, Texas — A North Texas Taco Bell restaurant has been cleared to reopen after being temporarily closed due to a threat of possible tampering to a product, officials said.
On Sunday around 12 p.m., the Azle Police Department responded to an incident at the Taco Bell at 100 Southeast Parkway. Investigators were looking into an online threat that reported possible tampering with a consumer product Sunday at the restaurant.
Out of an abundance of caution, the department said the restaurant was closed pending the arrival of the Tarrant County Health Department to investigate further.
The department has no reports of illness or injury as a result of this threat. It has also been in contact with Azle police and Taco Bell management since Sunday afternoon.
There are no current reports of anyone being ill, officials say.
On Monday, the Tarrant County Public Health Environmental Health Sanitarian completed a full routine inspection of the location in the morning -- which resulted in it being cleared to reopen.
The department said the sanitarian "verified the establishment has discarded any food that was open in use at time of closure, and all food containers and surfaces were properly cleaned and sanitized before refilling for service."
Taco Bell released a statement on the incident:
“Our guest’s health and safety are our top priority, and the actions described are unacceptable and reprehensible. The owner and operator of this restaurant has been working with the local authorities to confirm that none of the food items depicted were served and were, in fact, discarded. We understand that the team member posted this video on social media as joke and is no longer with the franchise organization.”