A nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that had people afraid to eat lettuce has recently started to dwindle. The outbreak was linked to produce supplier Taylor Farms. Just as people have started to feel
safe around lettuce again, Taylor farms recalled several of its jalapeño products in relation to a salmonella outbreak.
Jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico are believed to be the source of the outbreak.
The recall included products from retailers including Walmart, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Target. Separate from the recall, on Aug. 8 the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a public health alert for meat and poultry products that contained jalapeños
Where were jalapeños recalled in Tennessee?
Several products across 26 states and multiple grocery stores were recalled, according to an Aug. 9 recall notice published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Tennessee residents only need to worry about one product: A Private Selection brand spicy roast beef sandwich sold at Kroger.
Private Selection is an in-house Kroger brand that sells products ranging from prepared foods to produce. If marked with a "best by date" of Aug. 7 to Aug. 12, the roast beef sandwich is one of the recalled products.
The FDA recall notice said customers who bought one of the recalled products should throw the item away immediately to avoid risk of it being consumed.
RecentCDC data says a total of 345 people have been affected by the ongoing salmonella outbreak, only three of them are in Tennessee.
All Qdoba and Chipotle locations have stopped serving jalapeños due to the outbreak. The restaurants are not considered to be a current ongoing risk due to the fact potentially affected jalapeños were immediately pulled, the CDC said.
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella, the leading cause of foodborne illness hospitalizations, is a bacterium that makes people sick with salmonellosis after they swallow it, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Despite salmonella being among the more common foodborne illnesses, only 1 in 30 people affected by it actually are diagnosed, according to the CDC. This is because most people who experience food poisoning do not see a doctor. Here are some salmonella symptoms to look out for:
- Severe stomach cramps and watery diarrhea containing blood or mucus are the most common symptoms.
- Headache, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite are other symptoms some people experience.
Fluids and anti-diarrheal medications are the most common treatments. Salmonella is normally resolved without antibiotics, although it is an option for more severe cases, according to the CDC.
Who owns Taylor Farms?
In 1995, Bruce Taylor, a third generation produce farmer in California's Salinas Valley founded Taylor Farms alongside several other business partners, according to the Taylor Farms website. The company now has facilities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and parts of Europe.
The company remains private and family owned, with Taylor still serving as the chairperson and CEO.
Taylor Farms might be most well-known for it's prepackaged ready to eat salad mixes. The company claimed it was the first to come up with the concept when it entered the grocery store market in 2012.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Product sold in Tennessee stores are linked to Taylor Farms salmonella outbreak
