/ 18 February 2006

Woman finds bird’s head in can of beans

A northern Illinois resident has reported finding a bird’s head in a can of pinto beans, prompting a Chicago-based food company to announce a voluntary recall.

La Preferida said in a statement that it is recalling a limited number of its cans as a precaution. The company says the beans were canned by New Meridian in Eaton, Indiana.

”There are still many unanswered questions, but we have decided to err on the side of safety,” said David Brand, La Preferida’s director of quality assurance.

The company is investigating to determine how the bird head got into the can, he said. The Illinois department of public health and the United States Food and Drug Administration are also investigating.

Luz Marrufo, a 28-year-old nurse’s assistant, told the Daily Chronicle in DeKalb that she found the bird’s head on Thursday while preparing breakfast for her three sons.

”I don’t think we’ll be eating beans for a long time, unless I make them,” Marrufo told the newspaper. — Sapa-AP