A food recall tied to a multistate Salmonella outbreak is hitting products sold at some of the country’s largest grocery chains.
Taylor Farms is recalling dips, salsa, guacamole, sandwiches, and other prepared foods containing jalapeño peppers distributed to Walmart, Kroger, Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop.
The recall was announced after Coast Citrus Distributors recalled fresh jalapeños because of possible Salmonella contamination.
Federal health officials have linked the peppers to an outbreak that has sickened 345 people in 27 states and hospitalized 36.
No deaths have been reported.
Taylor Fresh Foods said it is not aware of any illnesses specifically linked to its finished products.
The recalled products were distributed to retail distribution centers in the following 26 states: AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NH, NY, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VT, WI, WV.
They carry “Best If Used By” dates through August 16.
Walmart, Kroger, and Target products recalled
The recall involves several store and private-label products.
- Kroger products include a Private Selection spicy roast beef sandwich, spicy Jarlsberg dip, and spicy pimento cheese dip.
- At Walmart, affected products include Freshness Guaranteed mild and spicy pico de gallo sold in several states.
- Target products include taco dip, mango pico de gallo, spicy guacamole, pico de gallo, and authentic guacamole.
- Trader Joe’s recalled its Fiesta Style Salad with Shrimp in Texas, while Whole Foods is affected through several salsa and pico de gallo products sold in Illinois and Texas.
- Hannaford and Stop & Shop are also affected by the following products: diced jalapeños, a rice-and-bean burrito, and pico de gallo salsa.
Chipotle and fast-casual Mexican chain QDOBA also received jalapeños imported by Coast Citrus.
Chipotle began switching suppliers at affected restaurants on July 20, while QDOBA stopped using the peppers on July 28.
The FDA said neither chain is considered an ongoing risk after the products were removed.
The fresh jalapeños at the center of the outbreak were distributed by Coast Citrus to wholesalers, restaurants, and food-service companies nationwide.
The FDA said Coast Citrus does not appear to have supplied the peppers directly to grocery stores.
Instead, retailers, including Walmart and Kroger, received downstream Taylor Fresh Foods products made with the recalled jalapeños.
Look here at the complete FDA listing, which provides UPC codes, affected states, and best-by dates for each product.
Jalapeño outbreak linked to 345 illnesses
FDA traceback identified a common grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, as the likely source of the outbreak.
Taylor Fresh Foods has stopped sourcing products from the farmer and is filling orders from alternative suppliers.
The outbreak has resulted in 345 illnesses across 27 states, including 36 hospitalizations so far.
Illnesses began between June 19 and July 20.
Of the 191 people interviewed during the investigation, 177 (93%) reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming sick.
The outbreak has also prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to issue a separate public health alert for certain meat and poultry products made with the affected jalapeños.
The jalapeño recall follows another recent food-safety issue involving Taylor Farms.
In July, TheStreet reported that Taylor Farms removed iceberg lettuce from its supply chain after federal investigators linked lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak.
Consumers urged to throw away recalled products
Taylor Fresh Foods said consumers who have recalled products should discard them immediately and not eat them.
Refunds are available at the location where the products were purchased.
Salmonella infection can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, usually beginning 12 to 72 hours after exposure.
Children younger than 5, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems face a greater risk of severe illness.
The FDA said its outbreak investigation remains ongoing.
