Target, Walmart, Whole Foods among stores affected by Salmonella outbreak recalls
A Salmonella outbreak that has caused hundreds to get sick was linked to jalapeños, triggering a wave of recalls. (Photo by Julia Ewan/The The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Several of the nation’s largest grocery chains, including Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods, have issued recalls following a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people and been linked to jalapeño peppers.
Big picture view:
In addition to those three retailers, Hannaford, Kroger, and Trader Joe’s have been swept up in this latest round of recalls, the Food and Drug Administration reported. They are all the result of a voluntary recall on finished products issued by Taylor Fresh Foods after the distributor of the jalapeños issued its recall on the peppers.
The FDA previously reported that more than three hundred Salmonella cases in 27 states have been linked to fresh jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. The agency noted that, as of Sunday, Taylor Fresh Foods is unaware of any illnesses being connected to the products in this new recall.
RELATED: Jalapeños linked to Salmonella outbreak in 27 states; Chipotle & Qdoba affected
Where they were sold
The recalled Taylor Fresh Foods products all have "Best If Used By" dates up to and including August 16, 2026, according to the statement.
The company indicated that the products were sent to retail distribution centers in these states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
The recalled products
What you can do:
Anyone who purchased the recalled products is urged not to eat and dispose of them. Refunds will be available where the products were purchased. Customers who have questions about the recall can contact Taylor Fresh Foods’ customer care team at 855-455-0098.
RELATED: Jalapeño recall spurs alert for meat, poultry items from Kroger, Walmart, Albertsons, and others
The backstory:
In an FDA statement on Wednesday, the agency explained that 345 cases of Salmonella were reported between June 19 and July 20 across more than two dozen states, with Colorado and Minnesota reporting the bulk of the cases. At the time of the statement, 36 people had been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak.
Health officials spoke with 191 people who contracted Salmonella, and 177 of them (93%) had eaten at a Mexican-style restaurant sometime between June 14 and July 14 before getting sick, the FDA explained, noting that both Chipotle and Qdoba were among the locations mentioned. Both restaurant chains made changes in response to the outbreak, and the FDA stated that health officials do not consider eating at their locations to be a risk.
On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its own list of meat and poultry products that have been affected as well.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the FDA and USDA. This story was reported from Orlando.