Taylor Farms Recalls Prepared Foods With Jalapenos Over Salmonella Concerns

Topline

Taylor Farms is recalling prepared foods with jalapenos due to possible salmonella contamination, including guacamole, salsa and pico de gallo, from major grocery outlets like Walmart, Kroger, Target and Whole Foods—only weeks after the produce giant recalled lettuce after the cyclospora outbreak was potentially linked to its lettuce.

A salmonella outbreak was linked to a farm the company sourced jalapenos from.

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Key Facts

In a press release issued on Sunday, Taylor Farms said the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to a farm it sourced jalapenos from—Coast Citrus Distributors in Sinaloa, Mexico.

The company said it would no longer source produce from the farm and would fill new orders from “alternative suppliers.”

Taylor Farms said it was unaware of any illnesses directly linked to its products at this time.

NEWS PEG

The CDC warned about the outbreak last week, after hundreds of customers at fast casual Mexican chains Chipotle and Qdoba were sickened and 36 hospitalized across 27 states (both chains have stopped serving the contaminated jalapenos since and are not considered a risk by the CDC).

Which Grocery Stores Sold Recalled Products?

A full list of recalled products can be found on Taylor Farms’ press release, which includes dips and ingredients like salsa, guacamole and pico de gallo, as well as some ready-to-eat products like shrimp salad sold at some Trader Joe’s in Texas, spicy roast beef sandwiches sold at some Krogers and rice and bean burritos sold at Maine-based supermarket chain Hannaford. The full list includes recalled products at Targets in Florida, Ohio and Texas, Trader Joe’s in Texas, Walmarts in Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin, Whole Foods locations in Illinois and Texas, and Hannaford locations in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. It also includes products sold at Krogers in numerous states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and West Virginia. All of the products have “best if used by” dates between Aug. 7-16.

What is Salmonella?

Salmonella is an infection caused by bacteria of the same name, and is a leading cause of foodborne illness, according to the CDC. The agency estimates the bacteria causes about 1.35 million infections in Americans per year, but also notes that only 1 in every 30 cases is ever diagnosed. The bacteria is typically spread through contaminated food, water and by contact with animals, which can spread the germs through their feces and habitats. Common symptoms include watery diarrhea and stomach aches, but can also include nausea, headaches, vomiting and loss of appetite. A total of 345 cases linked to the outbreak at Coast Citrus Distributors have been identified so far, according to the CDC’s most recent update, including 36 cases that led to hospitalization.

Key Background

This is the second voluntary recall Taylor Farms has conducted in recent weeks, after lettuce from the produce company was linked to the cyclospora outbreak that has sickened tens of thousands of people across the country. The FDA initially linked the outbreak to another farm in Mexico where Taylor Farms sourced its iceberg lettuce. However, days later, the agency said the initial result was a false positive. Taylor Farms still voluntarily recalled its lettuce grown in central Mexico, suspended production at its facility in the region and stopped sourcing all lettuce from the area “out of an abundance of caution.”

Further Reading

ForbesTaylor Farms Founder Speaks Out For First Time Amid The FDA's Investigation Into That “Explosive Diarrhea” Parasite OutbreakBy Chloe SorvinoForbesHere’s Where The Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Stands After Taylor Farms’ False PositiveBy Mary Whitfill Roeloffs