Taylor Farms has recalled more than a dozen salsas, guacamole, dips and prepared meals sold at major grocery chains nationwide after federal health officials linked a fast-moving salmonella outbreak to contaminated jalapeño peppers.

The FDA and CDC say the outbreak has sickened at least 345 people across 27 states and sent 36 to the hospital. Investigators traced the tainted peppers to a Sinaloa, Mexico grower supplying Coast Citrus Distributors, which in turn supplied Taylor Fresh Foods, according to CNN.

Recalled products were shipped to distribution centers in 26 states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio and Texas, and sold under the Taylor Farms label at major retailers including Kroger, Target, Trader Joe's, Walmart and Whole Foods, according to Newsweek. Affected items carry "best if used by" dates through Aug. 16.

What Shoppers Should Do

Health officials are urging anyone who bought the recalled salsa, guacamole, chopped salad kits or sandwich products to throw them away or return them for a refund rather than taste-test them to check for spoilage — salmonella contamination isn't detectable by smell or appearance. Symptoms typically include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps beginning six hours to six days after exposure, and can turn severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

345 SICK, 36 HOSPITALIZED, ACROSS 27 STATES — AND COUNTING

Taylor Fresh Foods said in a statement that it has cut ties with the implicated jalapeño grower and is now sourcing from alternative suppliers. The company said as of the weekend it was not aware of any confirmed illnesses directly linked to the recalled products, even as the broader outbreak investigation continued to expand.

It's the second major recall tied to Taylor Farms products in recent months, intensifying scrutiny of the company's supply chain as food-safety advocates question how contaminated produce keeps making it onto store shelves. Canadian regulators have also issued parallel recall warnings for Taylor Farms-brand chopped salad kits sold north of the border, according to Canada's food inspection agency.

The FDA and CDC say the investigation is ongoing and the list of recalled products could still grow as officials continue tracing the supply chain. Consumers are advised to check the full, regularly updated product list on Taylor Farms' website against anything currently sitting in their refrigerator before deciding what to keep.

Investigators first flagged the illness cluster in late July, when a spike in salmonella cases across multiple states prompted the CDC's routine genetic-fingerprinting surveillance to link the infections to a common source. That kind of cross-state detective work — matching the DNA signature of the bacteria in sick patients to samples pulled from store shelves and distribution centers — is how most large-scale produce recalls get traced back to a single grower, and it typically takes weeks between the first illnesses and a public recall notice.

Fresh produce has become one of the most frequent culprits in U.S. foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years, in part because items like chopped vegetables and pre-made dips pass through long, multi-supplier chains — grower, packer, distributor, retailer — before reaching a shopper's cart, with each handoff creating another opportunity for contamination to spread undetected. Food-safety advocates argue the current recall shows why they've pushed for tighter mandatory testing requirements earlier in that chain, rather than relying on illness clusters to surface problems after the fact.