The restaurant says it is working with its supplier to prevent future occurrences.
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A Texas woman is suing fast-casual restaurant Torchy’s Tacos after finding a tooth in her meal.
The plaintiff, Nohemi Castillo, alleges in a complaint that she ordered takeout from one of the company’s Austin, Texas, on June 9. Castillo claims she ordered the “Democrat” tacos made with barbacoa, or braised beef cheek.
“One of the tacos had what appeared to be a cow tooth in it, which she almost swallowed,” the complaint alleges, according to People.
Castillo claims that she alerted one of the restaurant’s managers after the discovery, noting that it was “unclear what, if anything, he did to remedy the problem within his food and under his control.”
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Castillo took photos that show a tooth-shaped object next to the food she was eating. According to the complaint, Castillo was “grossed out and sickened.” She then visited a doctor to receive prescription medication.
The suit notes that the Torchy’s Tacos chain potentially violated the Food Safety Modernization Act’s requirement that restaurant owners and operators “evaluate the hazards that could affect food manufactured, processed, packed, or held by such facility, and to identify and implement preventive controls to significantly minimize or prevent the occurrence of such hazards.”
Castillo alleges that the restaurant and its parent company, Success Foods Management Group LLC, engaged in an “unconscionable action or course of action” and “committed false, misleading, or deceptive practices.” The suit alleges the restaurant “knew about various problems contained in their sold food products” before Castillo received her meal, and that “the food was not reasonably prepared, inspected, or delivered.”