Taylor Farms, a US-based company, announced on Sunday (August 9) that it is recalling pre-packaged foods containing Mexican chili peppers distributed to retailers due to concerns of potential Salmonella contamination. Just weeks ago, the company had recalled lettuce products following the association of Mexican lettuce it supplied with the Cyclospora outbreak spreading across the United States as determined by the Department of Health.
Headquartered in Salinas, California, the produce supplier stated that upon receiving a notice from another major fresh produce distributor, Coast Citrus Distributors, about the recall of fresh chili peppers, it proactively recalled related products including salsa and avocado spread.
In a statement, Taylor Farms mentioned that it has ceased sourcing ingredients from a farmer in the Mexican state of Sinaloa after health authorities identified the farmer as a potential source of the Salmonella outbreak.
However, the company noted that thus far, no reports of illnesses related to its products containing Mexican chili peppers have been detected.
The current Salmonella outbreak has resulted in 345 people falling ill across 27 states in the United States. Grocery stores and restaurants nationwide are pulling related products, including those with Mexican chili peppers. The recalled products were distributed to chain supermarkets such as Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Kroger, spanning across 26 states.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most individuals infected with Salmonella may experience symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, which typically begin 6 hours to 6 days after consuming contaminated food. Most cases do not require treatment and individuals usually recover within 4 to 7 days.
However, certain individuals, particularly children under 5, adults aged 65 and above, and those with weakened immune systems, may develop more severe illnesses such as bloodstream infections, endocarditis (heart infection), and arthritis, necessitating prompt medical attention or hospitalization.
This recall comes as a further setback for Taylor Farms, as the company was already facing stricter sanitation inspections due to a Cyclosporiasis outbreak causing severe diarrhea.