Two foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Taylor Farms have exposed a weakness at the heart of North America's food system: the United States is increasingly relying on Mexico's produce industry, and regulators are straining to oversee it to keep consumers safe.
Taylor Farms, the $7 billion company that supplies fast-food chains, major food distributors and grocers, recalled prepared products containing jalapenos this week after U.S. authorities linked a salmonella outbreak that has sickened several hundred to peppers imported from Mexico. It followed a major cyclosporiasis outbreak, traced to iceberg lettuce Taylor Farms imported from Mexico, that has made more than 6,300 people sick and caused two deaths.
The back-to-back incidents have revived concerns over the FDA's ability to oversee imported food, experts say. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's employment fell by 22% in 2026 compared to 2024, according to agency data, in part due to workforce cuts since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Foreign food-facility inspections by the FDA fell by nearly 13% in fiscal 2025, while imports have continued to rise.
"Without question, the cuts are harmful to food safety," said Jennifer McEntire, founder of the U.S.-based Food Safety Strategy consultancy, as is "having decreased oversight to what's actually happening as outbreaks occur."
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