Taylor Farms pulls salsa, guacamole over salmonella fears

Taylor Farms, a California-based food supplier, has voluntarily recalled more than a dozen prepared food items containing jalapeño peppers, including salsas and guacamole, over concerns of potential salmonella contamination.

The move follows a recall initiated by Coast Citrus Distributors, which had supplied the peppers. Taylor Farms said it has stopped sourcing from the Sinaloa, Mexico farmer that provided the peppers to Coast Citrus and is now seeking alternative suppliers.

The recall comes as U.S. health authorities investigate a salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers imported from Mexico. Earlier this week, the outbreak had sickened 345 people across 27 states and led to 36 hospitalizations.

Restaurant chains including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA had received the affected peppers and have since stopped using them. Coast Citrus has recalled its remaining product and notified customers.

Taylor Farms said it is not aware of any reported illnesses linked to the voluntarily recalled items.

Salmonella infections can cause diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, and can be particularly severe in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

The recall adds to heightened scrutiny of food safety in the restaurant industry, following a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell and renewed attention on Chipotle's history of foodborne illness incidents.