Taco Bell in Britain takes beef off menu

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LONDON, March 1 (UPI) -- The three Taco Bell restaurants in Britain have stopped serving beef items because of the horsemeat scandal.

A spokesman said beef from one of its three suppliers tested positive for horse DNA, CNN reported.

The chain has two restaurants in Essex in eastern England and one in Manchester. The spokesman said none will serve beef until Taco Bell is convinced all its supplies come only from cows.

"We apologize to our customers and take this matter very seriously as food quality is our highest priority," he said.

Taco Bell is owned by Yum Brands, which also owns Pizza Hut and KFC. Its restaurants in the United States have different suppliers.

The scandal began in Britain and Ireland and has since spread to most of Europe.