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By Anna Skinner
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A Pennsylvania barbecue chef is prepared to remove some of his most popular menu items rather than continue sourcing jalapeños connected to Taylor Farms, saying that recent recalls and outbreaks have shattered his confidence in one of the country's largest produce suppliers.
Joe Gera, executive chef and owner of Keystone 'Cue, said his catering business has incurred more than $21,000 in costs tied to product recalls, including discarded ingredients, rebooked events and lost contracts, though insurance covered much of the financial hit. Looking ahead to the winter months, when jalapeños are more difficult to source locally and often must be imported through major distributors, Gera said he may have no choice but to drop customer favorites—including cornbread and jalapeño sausages—from the menu.
"Absolutely," he told Newsweek when asked whether he would remove dishes rather than purchase Taylor Farms products. "I'd rather take it off the menu than risk dealing with them. They can't be trusted."
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In a statement on Thursday, a Taylor Farms spokesperson told Newsweek that "we are passionate about helping people live healthier lives through fresh produce" and that "the safety of our food is paramount."
"We maintain best-in-class Cyclospora prevention protocols and invest more than $200 million annually into our independently audited and verified food safety protocols," the statement said. "When questions were raised about the source of the recent Cyclospora outbreak, we immediately removed all potentially implicated product from the marketplace, and out of an abundance of caution we issued an even broader recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from the region. We have also voluntarily suspended all iceberg lettuce sourcing and production from central Mexico.
"Additionally, we’ve commissioned independent experts to conduct a top-to-bottom review of food safety processes and protocols in our central Mexico facility, where as of July 18, 2026 we have temporarily suspended production of all products. We continue to work with health authorities, customers, and independent farming partners to address this issue," the statement added. "According to the FDA, there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora as of August 5, 2026. We are confident in our food and food safety systems and will continue to be transparent as more information becomes available."
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Cyclospora and Salmonella Outbreaks Raise Alarm
Gera's comments come as Taylor Farms faces heightened scrutiny following multiple food safety incidents. A cyclospora outbreak, known primarily for its hallmark symptom of explosive diarrhea—and linked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to Taylor Farms' shredded iceberg lettuce through trace-back investigations—sickened at least 6,358 people across 15 states this summer, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two people in Michigan died after contracting the parasite, and hundreds more have been hospitalized.
Separately, a salmonella outbreak connected to fresh jalapeño peppers prompted a voluntary recall of numerous Taylor Farms products, such as guacamole and salsa, although Taylor Farms' parent company, Taylor Fresh Foods, said it was "not aware of any reported illnesses linked to its products containing jalapeños."
The outbreaks have prompted renewed questions about food safety practices in produce supply chains. The incidents have reverberated throughout the restaurant industry because of Taylor Farms' enormous reach. Founded in California, Taylor Farms is one of North America's largest fresh-produce companies, supplying grocery stores, restaurants, food-service distributors and major restaurant chains across the United States. Its scale makes it a critical supplier for businesses that need consistent, high-volume deliveries of produce year-round.
For smaller operators, however, that dominance can create challenges when food safety concerns emerge.
Gera said worries began mounting over the past several months as recalls involving products connected to Taylor Farms continued to surface. His business, which specializes in Carolina-style barbecue, wedding catering, food trucks and large-scale events across the East Coast and as far west as Chicago, had already moved away from Taylor Farms romaine lettuce after becoming concerned about the cyclospora outbreak. Keystone 'Cue began sourcing lettuce from a smaller farm in eastern Ohio but continued purchasing Taylor Farms jalapeños.
When recalls involving prepared products containing jalapeños surfaced, Keystone 'Cue discarded its existing inventory and reordered a fresh batch. Soon afterward, another recall involving jalapeños from Taylor Farms' facility in Mexico left the business throwing out product again.
All in all, Gera said he lost thousands of peppers. Keystone 'Cue ordered five to six cases of Taylor Farms jalapeño peppers per week, with around 400 peppers per case. At that point, Gera contacted his company's Taylor Farms representative and informed them that he would no longer be ordering products. He described the recalls as a "serious liability" for a business that prides itself on serving fresh food.
"The thought that someone would be eating my food and wondering if they're going to get sick is unacceptable," he said.
The restaurant announced that it would be cutting all ties with Taylor Farms on Tuesday.
"We at Keystone Cue have severed all ties with Taylor Farms as a supplier," the announcement said. "We were still using one of their products, Jalapeños, (I use them in bulk in our smoked sausage & cornbread) but will no longer be doing so. Too much risk involved. I’m urging every restaurant and food purveyor who is still using them, stop. And stop now."
According to Gera, the direct cost of discarded food totaled approximately $4,500. Once refunds and rebooked events were factored in, he estimated the financial impact reached roughly $21,200. There has been no word from Taylor Farms about a refund, Gera said, adding that insurance covered much of the loss but noting many small businesses lack comparable protections.
The ingredients at the center of the problem are also essential to some of Keystone 'Cue's bestselling foods.
Gera said fresh jalapeños are used in both the restaurant's cornbread and jalapeño sausage, two menu items that consistently generate strong sales. During the summer and early fall, sourcing peppers from local farms is often possible. Winter presents a different challenge.
"Seasonal foods like jalapeños have to come from Mexico in winter months," he said. "Getting them from Mexico without a large supplier is almost impossible. Short of growing them ourselves, we don't know what we're going to do."
That reality has forced him to weigh a difficult decision. If he cannot find a supplier that he trusts, he plans to remove the items from the menu rather than source the ingredients from Taylor Farms.
'Very, Very Difficult' to Escape
Despite his frustration, Gera said avoiding Taylor Farms entirely is far easier said than done and that it was "very, very difficult" to escape its reach. Even restaurants that attempt to avoid Taylor Farms may encounter the company's products indirectly through major distributors.
"Large industrial suppliers like that are almost inevitable, especially if you work in multiple states or have large events," Gera said. "You really cannot get away from it."
He urged restaurants to begin seeking alternative suppliers wherever possible. "I'd say if you have any way to not deal with their products or their subsidiaries, don't. If you have an alternative supplier, at the very least start looking for somebody right now."
For businesses that cannot completely avoid Taylor Farms products, he recommends additional safeguards. "Get a salmonella testing kit and keep it in the kitchen. Test everything that comes into your shop. Call your health inspector. Have them come in and test it."
Ultimately, Gera believes, pressure from restaurants and consumers will be necessary to drive change when it comes to safety in the food industry. "The only way we're going to change it is a mass-market-oriented approach. Restaurant owners and diners and customers are fed up with it. Food quality that we normally used to be able to rely on, we can't right now. And that's scary."
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Edward T. Cummins.
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