A major producer of salads and fresh-cut vegetables is voluntarily recalling prepared foods containing jalapeños from several major retailers due to a potential salmonella contamination.
Taylor Farms, one of North America’s largest producers of fresh produce and salad, announced the recall on Sunday after it was notified that one of its distributors was recalling jalapeños when a salmonella outbreak sickened more than 300 people.
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The company’s jalapeño recall is also the second Taylor Farms has made within the last month. In July, the company also voluntarily recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico over potential cyclospora contamination. The parasite, which causes severe diarrhea that could last for weeks, has spread through most of the U.S. Health officials are still investigating the source of that infection, Reuters reported.
Taylor Farms’ announcement is also the second major salmonella outbreak the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are tracking in the U.S. In late July, the administrations said it linked a multi-state salmonella outbreak to eggs from two Midwest Poultry Services farms in Texas. So far, nearly 100 people have been infected across 17 states — 26 were hospitalized.
How widespread is the outbreak?
Taylor Farms said a multi-state outbreak of salmonella infections was linked to fresh jalapeños from Coast Citrus Distributors, one of the company’s distributors. It said they believe the contamination originated from a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, that supplies jalapeños to Coast Citrus Distributors.
The company said it’s no longer sourcing its products from this farmer and will instead fill orders from alternative suppliers. Taylor Farms recalled several of its products that contained jalapeños, including salsas and guacamole. The recalled products were found at major supermarkets including Walmart, Target, Kroger, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
Walmart said on Monday that it had removed the products from its shelves and blocked shoppers from buying them at the register and online, according to Reuters.
Industry experts told the outlet that because many of Taylor Farms’ products are sold wholesale and unbranded, it will be difficult for consumers to entirely avoid the company’s products.
How dangerous is salmonella?
Salmonella is a bacterium that can live on produce and other foods. It’s usually killed when food is cooked, but foods like lettuce and jalapeños that aren’t cooked can lead to people ingesting the bacteria and getting sick.
In its press release, Taylor Farms said the bacteria can cause serious illness that can sometimes be fatal to young children, older adults and people with compromised immune systems.
The infection can start as little as six hours after eating contaminated food. People often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare cases, the bacteria can make its way into the bloodstream and cause severe effects like arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.
Taylor Farms said it was unaware of any reported illnesses linked to its recalled items.
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