Taylor Farms recalls jalapeño products over salmonella risk

Taylor Farms is recalling about 20 prepared foods made with jalapeño peppers and sold through major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, after a supplier recalled fresh jalapeños over salmonella concerns.

The company said the products, including pico de gallo, guacamole, dips, burritos, sandwiches and sliced jalapeños, were distributed in 26 states and carry “best if used by” dates through Aug. 16. Taylor Farms said it is not aware of any illnesses linked to the recalled products.

The recall followed a move by Coast Citrus Distributors, which supplied Taylor Farms with peppers, to recall its own fresh jalapeños because of salmonella concerns. Taylor Farms said “a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, that supplies to Coast Citrus Distributors was identified as the potential source in this outbreak.”

“Taylor Fresh Foods is no longer sourcing products from this farmer and will be filling orders from alternative suppliers,” the company said.

Taylor Farms urged consumers not to eat any recalled items. “Consumers who have any recalled product should discard it immediately and not consume it. Refunds are available at the location of purchase,” the company said.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. The Mayo Clinic says symptoms can begin within eight to 72 hours after exposure, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives a range of 12 to 72 hours, according to the BBC. Most healthy people recover within days to a week without treatment, the Mayo Clinic says.

The recalled items were sold under several retailer brands. At Walmart, affected products include Freshness Guaranteed Hot Pico de Gallo and Mild Pico de Gallo, sold in states including Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin, depending on the item. Walmart said it removes recalled products from stores and blocks sales at registers and online when notified.

“When notified of recalls, we move swiftly to remove the impacted products from our stores and implement a sales block at our registers and online,” Walmart told CBS News. “We are working closely with our supplier, and customers who have this should discontinue use.”

Target products include taco dip, mango pico de gallo, spicy guacamole, Taylor Farms Pico de Gallo and Taylor Farms Authentic Guacamole sold in Florida, Ohio and Texas, depending on the product. Whole Foods said it pulled recalled salsas and pico de gallo products from stores in Illinois and Texas.

“Nothing matters more to us than our customers’ safety,” Whole Foods told CBS News. “Customers who purchased any of these products from us should throw them away and contact us for a refund.”

Trader Joe’s said it is recalling 668 packages of Fiesta Salad with Shrimp because the product contains salsa that may have been prepared with recalled jalapeño peppers. The salad was sold in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Trader Joe’s said customers should throw it away or return it for a refund.

Stop & Shop said two products, a chipotle chicken tortilla wrap and pico de gallo salsa, were affected and pulled from shelves on Aug. 8. “Customers should discard any impacted products and contact any Stop & Shop store or Customer Care for a full refund,” the company said.

Other affected retailers include Hannaford and Kroger. Hannaford products include diced jalapeños, a rice and bean burrito and pico de gallo salsa sold in parts of the Northeast. Kroger products include a Private Selection Spicy Roast Beef Sandwich and spicy dips sold across several Southern and Midwestern states.

The jalapeño recall comes as Taylor Farms faces scrutiny over a separate cyclospora outbreak. The BBC reported that some Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico was recently linked to an unusually large cyclosporiasis outbreak that had sickened more than 22,000 people since May 1, according to an Aug. 4 update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The BBC also reported that the illness had spread to 45 states and that Michigan health officials confirmed the first two deaths linked to that outbreak last week.