Wondering if what you eat might make you sick is the kind of news that stays news. Taylor Farms, the company responsible for the recent outbreak of cyclospora has issued a recall on salsa and guacamole over the risk of salmonella risk this past Sunday, August 9, 2026.
It’s not just the pre-packaged lettuce.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA said last week they were investigating the salmonella outbreak, which has sickened 345 people across 27 states and led to 36 hospitalizations.
While bags of salad have been popular for the past decade, an easy way to put some fresh greens on the table with minimal prep time, they have now become something to avoid. If you were eating your ‘5 a day’ or ‘full rainbow’ for health benefits, things like salmonella and cyclospora may be changing your habits.
“Consumers are likely to avoid all Taylor Farms products for a while. Taylor Farms will have to work hard to change the perception that its products can make people sick. It could take some time,” said Joe Feldman, senior managing director at Telsey Advisory Group.
The habit you can change today is shopping at a local farmer’s market for produce – especially lettuce – grown nearby. The farther food has to travel, the more problematic it can become. Many of Taylor Farms contamination issues took a long time to find because they use farms across many state and even national borders. The longer the chain of supply, the more opportunities for contamination challenges.
Taking into account the amount of energy spent, a bag of salad from a corporate supermarket travelled much, much farther than a head of lettuce at the farmers market. At least hundreds and maybe thousands of miles.
Corporate food also wears a lot of different labels. Not just on the shelf as Taylor Farms, the company is also labelled as Earthbound, 365: Whole Foods, Simple Truth: Kroger/Fred Meyer, O-Organics and Signature Select brands: Safeway/ Carrs, Simply Nature: Aldi, Good and Gather: Target, and the Trader Joe’s store brand, and most fast food venues as well.
In May 1965, a massive Salmonella typhimurium epidemic struck Riverside, California. It sickened an estimated 16,000 to 18,000 residents out of a population of roughly 133,000, making it one of the largest waterborne outbreaks in United States history.
Buying the food from the folks that grew it can help prevent many problems. Don’t miss out on healthy eating over fear of illness.
Culver City’s Farmers Market runs every Tuesday from 2 to 7 pm on Main Street.
CC Foodie
