A Salmonella outbreak tied to fresh jalapeño peppers has prompted a wave of recalls affecting prepared foods sold at major retailers across 26 states, with at least 345 people sickened and 36 hospitalized as of August 10.
Taylor Fresh Foods, the manufacturer behind Taylor Farms products, issued a recall on August 9 after contaminated peppers entered its supply chain. The recalled products include refrigerated salsa, guacamole, dips, burritos, and sandwiches. Stores that received the affected products include Walmart, Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Trader Joe's, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop.
According to Healthline, federal regulators traced the source of the outbreak to fresh jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. The Food and Drug Administration had been investigating the outbreak since late July. Taylor Fresh Foods has since stopped sourcing jalapeños from Coast Citrus and is relying on alternative suppliers.
The states affected include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
The recall does not affect the entire Taylor Farms product line. "Consumers should take this recall seriously, but there is no reason to avoid every Taylor Farms product," said Robert Glatter, MD, attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Zuck
Fast-casual chains Chipotle and Qdoba, which had previously carried the peppers at several locations, pulled jalapeños from their restaurants nationwide as a precaution before the formal recall was issued.
On August 8, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert covering certain meat and poultry products containing the recalled jalapeños, one day before Taylor Fresh Foods issued its own recall notice.
This is not the first time Taylor Farms has been connected to a foodborne illness investigation in recent weeks. The company was also previously linked to a cyclospora outbreak that sickened thousands, in which it recalled iceberg lettuce sold at fast-food chains including Taco Bell.
Consumers in the affected states are advised to check their refrigerators and discard any Taylor Farms products containing jalapeños that were purchased at the listed retailers.
