Taylor Farms recalls jalapeño products due to salmonella risk

(CNN) — More than a dozen Taylor Farms products that were sold at large retailers across the US are being recalled because they include jalapeño peppers that may be contaminated with salmonella.

The recalled products include salsas, dips, sandwiches and more that were distributed across 26 states and sold at stores including Kroger, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Whole Foods. The full list of recalled products can be found on Taylor Farms’ website.

Some of the products include “Best If Used By” dates up to and including August 16, and consumers are urged to discard any recalled products immediately. Refunds are available at the location of purchase, Taylor Fresh Foods says.

As of Sunday, Taylor Fresh Foods says that it is not aware of any illnesses linked to these recalled products.

The jalapeños used in the Taylor Farms products were supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors, the same company that is the center of a multistate outbreak of salmonella linked to jalapeños used at Chipotle and Qdoba. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, there is not an ongoing risk from these restaurants. But there have been about 350 illnesses and 36 hospitalizations associated with that outbreak, according to the FDA and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Coast Citrus Distributors has voluntarily recalled fresh jalapeños due to salmonella risk, and Chipotle, QDOBA and Taylor Fresh Foods say that they are no longer sourcing food from this farmer.

Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in the intestinal tract, and it people are most often infected by eating foods contaminated with animal feces.

The CDC estimates that salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections every year, with about 420 deaths.

This year, the US is experiencing several salmonella outbreaks. In addition to the outbreak associated with jalapeños, there is one linked to eggs, and several tied to animals including backyard chickens and chameleons.

People who get salmonella typically develop stomach cramps, fever, nausea or vomiting, and they may have bloody diarrhea. Symptoms typically last four to seven days. Most fully recover without treatment. More severe symptoms can happen in people with underlying conditions, those who are pregnant, the elderly, small children and those with suppressed immune systems.

To prevent salmonella, experts say it’s important to thoroughly wash hands, raw produce and cooking surfaces, and to keep raw poultry, eggs, seafood and meat away from ready-to-eat foods like fruits and vegetables.