US salmonella outbreak: Taylor Farms pulls jalapeno products from Walmart, Whole Foods, others
US-based Taylor Farms is now pulling food prepared using jalapenos from its retailers due to potential salmonella contamination, as per a report by Reuters. The
US-based Taylor Farms is now pulling food prepared using jalapenos from its retailers due to potential salmonella contamination, as per a report by Reuters. The company is pulling products from retailers like Walmart and Whole Foods with a second major foodborne illness linked to Taylor Farms spreading in the US. This recall is adding another layer of concern for customers, who have already reduced their purchases of iceberg lettuce as a cyclospora outbreak related to the vegetable spreads through several US states. The cyclospora outbreak is one of the largest foodborne illness events in recent US history, as per Reuters. On Sunday, Taylor Farms said that it had voluntarily recalled products like salsas and guacamole once it was notified that fresh peppers were being recalled by the Coast Citrus Distributors after more than 300 people were sickened by an outbreak.
Taylor Farms, which is based out of California, is one of the largest producers of fresh-cut vegetables and salads in North America.. It is a major supplier to a number of major supermarket chains as well as restaurant operators. Some of its clients include Kroger, McDonald's and Chipotle. On Sunday, the company said that it has stopped sourcing from a farm based in Sinaloa, Mexico, after the latter was identified as a potential source of salmonella. How much will outbreaks affect Taylor Farms' business? Joe Feldman, senior managing director at Telsey Advisory Group, told Reuters regarding the effect of the outbreak on Taylor Farms, "Consumers are likely to avoid all Taylor Farms products for a while.
Taylor Farms will have to work hard to change the perception that its products can make people sick. It could take some time." "The cyclospora scare seems to be having an impact on consumer buying habits. Many consumers are avoiding lettuce of all kinds, unless they know the source, such as a local farm," Feldman added. However, other industry experts the publication spoke to says consumers will not be able to completely steer clear of products sold by Taylor Farms since their produce is sold on a wholesale basis and does not come with any brand names. Once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration linked a cyclosporiasis outbreak to Taylor Farms-supplied shredded lettuce, the company stopped sourcing the same from a processing facility in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.
On Monday, Walmart told Reuters that it had removed products Taylor Famr srecalled from its stores. The company has also implemented a sales block both online and at registers. Amazon-owned Whole Foods and Ahold Delhaize-owned Hannaford also told the publication these recalled products have been pulled from shelves, They have also advised customers who have bought these products to throw them away.
The BriefWire