Taylor Fresh Foods, the parent company of Taylor Farms, has chosen to voluntarily recall several jalapeño-based products amid salmonella contamination concerns.
The current recall was initiated on Sunday after it was discovered that Coast Citrus Distributors, a fresh jalapeños supplier, was voluntarily recalling its products due to potential salmonella contamination. The recall list includes prepared foods like guacamole, pico de gallo, and taco dip, which were distributed by Taylor Farms across several states.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are currently investigating a multistate salmonella outbreak linked to fresh jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors. Taylor Fresh Foods has pinpointed a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, as the potential source of the outbreak and has stopped sourcing products from this supplier.
The products, marked with a “Best If Used By” date up to and including August 16, were sold at stores such as Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), Stop & Shop, Target Corp (NYSE:TGT), Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT).
The company has advised consumers who have any of the recalled products to dispose of them immediately and not to consume them, with refunds available at the point of purchase.
Federal officials report a Salmonella outbreak tied to recalled jalapeños, affecting at least 27 states with 345 reported cases, as per ABC News. However, as of now, no illnesses have been specifically linked to the Taylor Farms products included in the recall.
Recall Puts Food Supply Chains At Risk
This recall comes on the heels of a series of food safety incidents involving Taylor Fresh Foods. In July, the company voluntarily removed iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico after the FDA traced a cyclospora outbreak to its supply chain, impacting fast-food chains like Yum! Brands Inc.‘s (NYSE:YUM) Taco Bell and causing widespread concern.
The company’s CEO, Bruce Taylor, was also questioned by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) over potential White House connections influencing the federal response to the outbreak.
Furthermore, this recall could have significant implications for the food industry, as seen in the case of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE:CMG), where reports of a salmonella outbreak in Minnesota led to food safety concerns. Food safety incidents remain a major concern for investors, given past outbreaks that led to store avoidance, lower margins and valuation declines for the stocks. A new outbreak could also disrupt supply chains, raise operating costs, and trigger regulatory scrutiny, legal expenses and temporary sales declines in affected markets.
Schumer Blames Trump Administration
Meanwhile, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blamed President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for defunding FDA food safety programs and reducing inspectors, tying it to a Taylor Farms jalapeño recall over salmonella and a prior cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to their lettuce.
“They are doing everything in their power to Make America Sick Again, ” wrote Schumer.
Earlier, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) criticized the Trump Administration for cutting the CDC team tracking cyclospora outbreaks from 11 members to three, calling for greater investment in public health.
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