What to know about Taylor Farms, the Taco Bell supplier facing recalls amid cyclosporiasis and salmonella outbreaks

Aug 11, 2026 04:07 AM - 1 hour ago 2

Packages of Taylor Farms crockery greens are displayed astatine a Safeway shop connected July 16, 2026 successful Kings Beach, California.

Taylor Farms produces packaged salads and supplies caller nutrient to retailers, restaurants, and foodservice customers. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Taylor Farms products are being recalled again.

This time, the institution is recalling prepared foods containing jalapeños complete imaginable salmonella contamination amid a broader outbreak that has sickened 345 group crossed 27 states. Taylor Farms has said it is not alert of immoderate illnesses linked specifically to its recalled products.

The voluntary recall, issued by the institution connected August 9, followed a Coast Citrus Distributors callback of jalapeños traced to a grower successful Sinaloa, Mexico. Prepared products specified arsenic pico de gallo, guacamole, dips, burritos, and different items sold crossed 26 states are affected. Chipotle and Qdoba besides stopped utilizing the affected jalapeños.

This newest callback comes conscionable weeks aft Taylor Farms de Mexico recalled iceberg lettuce amid an ongoing cyclospora outbreak that, arsenic of August 5, had sickened much than 6,300 people. The FDA has said that a false-positive test involving a azygous lettuce sample did not change the broader epidemiological and traceback grounds supporting the recall.

Taylor Farms, founded by Bruce Taylor and respective partners successful 1995, is simply a California-based fresh nutrient company that has grown into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise pinch much than 24,000 labor and 22 accumulation locations across North America.

Taylor Farms did not instantly respond to a petition for remark from Business Insider.

Here's what to cognize astir Taylor Farms, its founder, its emergence successful the nutrient industry, and different awesome moments successful its history.

Taylor Farms traces its origins to Salinas, California, successful 1995.

During a break successful the fog, day sunlight shines connected the historical metropolis halfway of downtown Salinas, California, USA.

The institution was founded successful Salinas, California, wherever it is headquartered. MattGush/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The institution was founded successful 1995 successful the Salinas Valley of California — often nicknamed the Salad Bowl of America for its fertile farmland — by Bruce Taylor, whose begetter and grandfather had besides worked successful the caller nutrient industry.

More than 30 years later, Taylor remains the president and CEO of the company.

Farmland successful Northern California banal photo

Taylor Farms' increasing operations are concentrated successful the Salinas Valley and the Yuma region. Dreamframer/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Before founding Taylor Farms pinch a group of partners, Taylor besides served arsenic CEO of Fresh Express, a caller nutrient marque later acquired by Chiquita Brands International.

Taylor still serves arsenic the president and CEO of Taylor Farms.

Taylor Farms is simply a multibillion-dollar institution pinch much than 24,000 employees.

Packages of Taylor Farms crockery greens are displayed astatine a Safeway shop connected July 16, 2026 successful Kings Beach, California. Federal wellness officials are investigating whether shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by California-based Taylor Farms was the root of a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened much than 1,600 group successful 34 states, though nary definitive nexus has been confirmed.

Taylor Farms supplies 265 cardinal servings of caller nutrient crossed North America each week. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Taylor Farms is simply a $7 cardinal enterprise, according to UC Berkeley, that employs much than 24,000 group and operates 22 accumulation locations crossed North America.

Its retail, prepared foods, and nutrient work divisions nutrient bagged salads, repast kits, fresh-cut vegetables, and different ready-to-eat foods.

The institution and its web of growers supply an estimated 265 cardinal servings of caller nutrient crossed North America each week, the company said.

The institution helped popularize chopped crockery kits and expanded by buying different awesome nutrient brands.

Packages of Taylor Farms crockery greens are displayed astatine a Safeway shop connected July 16, 2026 successful Kings Beach, California. Federal wellness officials are investigating whether shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by California-based Taylor Farms was the root of a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened much than 1,600 group successful 34 states, though nary definitive nexus has been confirmed.

The institution helped pioneer branded prepackaged chopped salads. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Taylor Farms introduced the first branded prepackaged chopped salads successful 2012, per UC Berkeley.

The institution later continued to grow done acquisitions, including the integrated nutrient marque Earthbound Farm successful 2019 and the packaged crockery marque Eat Smart successful 2021.

A monolithic occurrence damaged Taylor Farms' flagship Salinas installation successful 2022.

Taylor Farms is completing the installation 2MW of star powerfulness astatine its installation successful San Juan Bautista, California, which will beryllium mixed pinch 6MW of substance cells from Bloom Energy and a 2MW/4MWh artillery into a microgrid designed to powerfulness the full 450,000 sq. ft. facility.

The company's different installation successful San Juan Bautista, California, was modernized pinch star powerfulness panels successful 2022. Business Wire/AP

In April 2022, a occurrence collapsed retired astatine Taylor Farms' flagship installation successful Salinas, California, destroying its 60,000-square-foot leafy-greens processing area.

The installation was rebuilt soon aft the occurrence and reopened a twelvemonth later, pinch a caller creation designed to process complete 15 cardinal pounds of nutrient weekly.

Taylor Farms has antecedently been linked to awesome foodborne unwellness investigations.

Packages of Taylor Farms crockery greens are displayed astatine a Safeway shop connected July 16, 2026 successful Kings Beach, California.

Taylor Farms products were the apt root of 2024 E. coli outbreak involving onions utilized successful McDonald's Quarter Pounders. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In 2013, restaurant-associated cyclospora illnesses successful Iowa and Nebraska were linked to crockery operation produced by Taylor Farms' Mexico division. During the multistate outbreak, 631 illnesses were reported crossed 25 states, though the CDC wished that the number of cases apt represented multiple outbreaks linked to different nutrient sources.

Taylor Farms was besides linked to an E. coli outbreak successful 2024 involving slivered onions served connected McDonald's Quarter Pounders. The institution voluntarily recalled yellowish onions supplied to McDonald's and different food-service customers aft 104 group were sickened crossed 14 states, 34 were hospitalized, and 1 died.

The FDA identified the recalled onions arsenic the apt root of the illnesses.

By August 5, a cyclospora outbreak had grown to complete 6,300 cases.

A customer enters a Taco Bell edifice connected July 14, 2026 successful La Cañada Flintridge, California.

On July 16, national wellness officials linked shredded iceberg lettuce served astatine immoderate Taco Bell locations successful 5 states to much than 1,600 cases of cyclosporiasis. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The CDC and FDA said shredded iceberg lettuce served astatine immoderate Taco Bell restaurants successful Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia was linked pinch an ongoing cyclospora outbreak.

As of August 5, the 15-state outbreak included astatine slightest 6,358 confirmed illnesses, 278 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. Not each Taco Bell edifice successful the affected states received the implicated lettuce.

The FDA said connected July 17 that its traceback investigation identified a azygous supplier that provided the restaurants pinch iceberg lettuce grown successful Mexico. The pursuing day, the agency identified Taylor Farms de Mexico arsenic that supplier. Taylor Farms said FDA traceback pointed to a circumstantial independent workplace arsenic the imaginable root of the outbreak.

Taco Bell said it removed perchance affected lettuce from restaurants successful prime states and was indefinitely removing the supplier's lettuce from its nationwide proviso chain.

On July 17, Taco Bell said successful a nationalist connection that it had completed the removal of each affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants.

The FDA said an first affirmative trial of a lettuce sample from Taylor Farms was a mendacious positive.

Packages of Taylor Farms Petite Romaine lettuce hearts are displayed for waste successful the refrigerated nutrient section astatine a Costco Wholesale storage connected July 29, 2026 successful Arlington, Virginia.

The false-positive consequence did not alteration the FDA's broader findings linking the recalled lettuce to the outbreak. Kevin Carter/Getty Images

The Food and Drug Administration antecedently said that a sample of Taylor Farms shredded iceberg lettuce had tested affirmative for cyclospora. On July 19, however, the agency said laboratory experts had reexamined the results and wished that the uncovering was a mendacious positive. As of that date, the FDA said location were nary confirmed affirmative merchandise samples.

In a July 19 statement, Taylor Farms, a lettuce supplier for Taco Bell, said it welcomed the FDA's update.

"Today, FDA apologized to us. Yesterday, FDA informed Taylor Fresh Foods that 1 of its iceberg lettuce products from cardinal Mexico tested affirmative for cyclospora. Today, we were informed that FDA made a mistake, and this was a mendacious positive," Taylor Farms said successful a statement.

On July 20, the FDA reiterated that the false-positive trial did not alteration the ground for its ongoing outbreak investigation.

"To clarify, this false-positive laboratory sample DOES NOT alteration the ground for FDA's ongoing outbreak investigation aliases the overwhelming epidemiological information supporting the existent voluntary callback by Taylor Farms," the FDA said successful an X post connected July 20.

The FDA and CDC are continuing to analyse the outbreak.

Fresh heads of lettuce are fresh to beryllium harvested, successful the Salinas Valley of cardinal California.

The FDA linked Taylor Farms' iceberg lettuce to an ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak. rightdx/Getty Images

As of August 5, cases involving vulnerability to recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce had been reported successful 15 states.

Recalled Taylor Fresh Foods iceberg lettuce products were distributed to food-service customers crossed 28 states, while recalled Marketside-brand products were sold astatine prime Walmart stores successful 15 states. The FDA said further implicated brands, restaurants, retailers, aliases distribution channels could still beryllium identified arsenic the investigation continues.

Taylor Farms de Mexico said it was voluntarily removing each iceberg lettuce originated from cardinal Mexico from the US market. The institution said its Taylor Farms-branded crockery kits do not incorporate iceberg lettuce.

The CDC is besides investigating different nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreaks and illnesses that it says are from different sources and unrelated to this outbreak.

On August 9, Taylor Farms issued a voluntary callback of prepared products containing jalapeños that mightiness beryllium contaminated pinch salmonella.

Jalapeños banal image.

Taylor Farms issued a voluntary callback of jalapeño products that mightiness beryllium contaminated pinch salmonella. Smitt/Getty Images

The callback is tied to a broader salmonella outbreak that the FDA linked to jalapeños successful early August. FDA traceback identified a grower successful Sinaloa, Mexico, whose jalapeños were distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors arsenic the apt root of the outbreak, which, arsenic of August 10, had resulted successful 345 illnesses successful 27 states.

The products recalled see pico de gallo, guacamole, dips, burritos, and different prepared foods, each of which person a "Best If Used By" day of August 16 aliases earlier.

Taylor Farms has said it stopped sourcing from the Sinaloa grower and that it is not alert of immoderate illnesses linked to its recalled products.

Editor's note: This communicative was primitively published July 17 and updated connected July 20 and August 10 to bespeak the FDA's astir caller statements.

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Kristine Villarroel is simply a newsman connected Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team.Her reporting often turns information into accessible stories astir really money, education, policy, and spot style Americans’ lives. She covers stories connected college costs and degree outcomes, state-by-state comparisons, public officials’ salaries, the rising costs of living, travel, food, and real estate.She has antecedently worked penning astir culture, entertainment, music, and tech. Her activity has been featured connected Teen Vogue and Wired. She graduated from the University of Florida pinch a grade successful journalism. There, she worked arsenic editor of The Independent Florida Alligator. Email Villarroel astatine [email protected] and travel her connected X @ktnedelvalle

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