Another Taylor Farms Recall: Jalapeño Products Pulled Over Salmonella Risk

By LCCN Staff Report

Taylor Farms is facing another major food recall, this time involving products containing jalapeño peppers that may be contaminated with Salmonella, just weeks after the company recalled iceberg lettuce amid a large Cyclospora outbreak.

Taylor Fresh Foods voluntarily recalled a range of prepared foods containing jalapeños after supplier Coast Citrus Distributors recalled fresh peppers linked to an ongoing multistate Salmonella outbreak.

The affected Taylor Farms products include salsas, guacamole, dips, sandwiches and other prepared foods sold through major retailers including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Kroger and other grocery chains.

The recalled products were distributed in 26 states and carry “Best If Used By” dates extending through Aug. 16.

Federal investigators have traced the suspect jalapeños through Coast Citrus Distributors to a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico. Taylor Farms said it has stopped sourcing jalapeños from the implicated grower and has moved to alternate suppliers.

The Salmonella outbreak associated with the jalapeños has sickened at least 345 people in 27 states, with 36 people hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Federal health officials have not reported illnesses directly associated with the recalled Taylor Farms finished products. The recall was initiated because the products contain jalapeños connected to the broader investigation.

The latest recall comes less than a month after Taylor Fresh Foods announced a separate recall involving iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico because of potential Cyclospora contamination.

On July 17, Taylor Farms de Mexico voluntarily removed iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market after a federal traceback investigation converged on the company as the supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants associated with a multistate Cyclospora outbreak.

By July 24, federal officials reported 1,947 illnesses among people who reported eating at Taco Bell in nine states, including at least 98 hospitalizations. No deaths had been reported.

The FDA said at the time that its traceback investigation and epidemiological evidence continued to point toward shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from growers in central Mexico.

The two recalls involve different products, different pathogens and different supply chains.

The July recall involved iceberg lettuce and Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that can cause prolonged gastrointestinal illness. The latest recall involves jalapeños and Salmonella, a bacterium that can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps and can result in serious illness among young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

Consumers who have one of the recalled jalapeño-containing products are being advised not to eat it and instead discard it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are continuing to investigate the Salmonella outbreak and the distribution of the implicated jalapeños.