FDA classifies 23 Taylor Farms products as highest-risk recall over Salmonella-contaminated jalapeños.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed 23 Taylor Fresh Foods products in its most serious recall category because of possible Salmonella contamination linked to jalapeño peppers. The classification applies to foods made with recalled peppers and includes dips, salsa, guacamole, sandwiches, salads and other prepared items. Federal records list 223,056 recalled units in total with the products having been distributed across 27 states, including Michigan, Texas, Florida, Ohio and North Carolina. North Carolina appears in the FDA records but was not included in the company’s original recall announcement, which named 26 states.
The jalapeño peppers recall involves Taylor Fresh Foods Inc., which operates as Taylor Farms. Some affected foods were sold under the names of major retailers rather than the Taylor Farms brand. Shoppers may therefore need to check product details carefully instead of relying only on the company name printed on the package. The FDA uses a Class I designation when there is a reasonable chance that eating or being exposed to a recalled product could cause serious health problems or death. The classification describes the level of risk linked to the recall. It does not mean that every package was contaminated or that every recalled item caused an illness.
The recall began on August 7, when Taylor Fresh Foods took action after learning that its supplier, Coast Citrus Distributors, was recalling fresh jalapeños because of possible Salmonella contamination. The company publicly announced its recall two days later. FDA investigators later traced the wider outbreak to a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, who supplied the peppers. As of August 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported 431 illnesses and 57 hospitalizations across 32 states. The FDA said illnesses began between June 19 and August 2. Among 224 people interviewed, 203 reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming sick.
The recalled products include diced jalapeños, a spicy roast beef sandwich, Spicy Jalapeño Jarlsberg Dip, Spicy Pimento Cheese Dip, taco dip, Fiesta Salad With Shrimp, spicy and authentic guacamole, mango pico de gallo, several types of salsa, and multiple varieties of pico de gallo. Larger food-service products include four-pound Tomato Salsa Fresca, 2.5-pound Pico De Gallo Hot, a five-pound Fresh Pico Tray and a BH Bold Chef Salad Kit.
Product sizes, package codes and UPC numbers differ. Consumers should compare the information on their packages with the FDA’s enforcement records to determine whether an item is included. The affected foods were distributed in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Taylor Farms said its food safety program includes product tracking, testing and checks on water sources. A company spokesperson said its tracking system can connect products to growers, lots, harvest dates and times. The company also said it had stopped buying jalapeño peppers from the grower connected to the recall and would turn to other suppliers. The company reported that it knew of no illnesses specifically linked to its recalled finished products when the withdrawal was announced. That statement does not change the FDA’s recall classification or remove the need for consumers to check affected foods.
Taylor Farms has also faced attention over a separate Cyclospora outbreak involving processed iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico. The CDC declared that outbreak over on September 11, after recording 12,883 illnesses, 570 hospitalizations and two deaths across 21 states. The lettuce outbreak and the jalapeño-related Salmonella outbreak are separate events, and the available information does not establish that they shared the same source.
Consumers who have a recalled product should not eat it. The CDC advises throwing it away or returning it to the place of purchase. Any containers, utensils, shelves or surfaces that may have touched the food should be cleaned with hot, soapy water or in a dishwasher. The recall remains an active food safety matter, and consumers should check package labels and official FDA records for the latest product details.
Sources:
Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Jalapeño (August 2026)
Jalapeño Recall Update: FDA Issues Strongest Warning for 27 States
