Pennsylvania barbecue chef Joe Gera has dropped major supplier Taylor Farms and cut popular menu items after food safety recalls cost his catering business approximately $21,000, according to an interview with Newsweek. The financial blow included discarded ingredients, rebooked events, and lost contracts stemming from multi-state contamination outbreaks linked to the produce giant.
Financial Toll and Menu Cuts at Keystone ‘Cue
Joe Gera, owner and chef of Keystone ‘Cue, stated that his catering operations suffered extensive losses due to recurring product recalls. According to Newsweek, direct food waste accounted for roughly $4,500 of the total damage, while event cancellations and refunds drove the overall financial impact to $21,000. Although insurance covered a portion of the expenses, Gera opted to eliminate customer favorites like cornbread and jalapeño sausage rather than risk sourcing ingredients from Taylor Farms.
“I’d rather take it off the menu than risk dealing with them,” Gera told Newsweek. “You can’t trust them.”
The restaurant routinely used five to six cases of jalapeños weekly, containing roughly 400 peppers per case. While local farms supply seasonal produce during summer and early autumn, winter operations force the business to rely heavily on large distributors importing from Mexico. Gera noted that finding alternative winter suppliers without utilizing major distributors remains exceptionally difficult.
Cyclospora and Salmonella Outbreaks Trigger Federal Investigations
The supply chain disruptions follow major public health investigations overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to federal health data, a Cyclospora outbreak linked to chopped iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms sickened at least 6,358 people across 15 states, resulting in hundreds of hospitalizations and two deaths in Michigan. The parasite causes severe gastrointestinal illness, most notably explosive diarrhea.
A separate outbreak involving fresh jalapeño peppers led to voluntary recalls of products such as guacamole and salsa produced by Taylor Farms. However, parent company Taylor Fresh Foods stated that it had not received reports of illnesses directly linked to products containing jalapeños.
Taylor Farms Responds to Safety Concerns
In a statement issued to Newsweek, a Taylor Farms spokesperson defended the company’s safety record, emphasizing that food safety remains the organization’s highest priority. The company invests more than $200 million annually in independently audited food safety protocols.
“When questions about the source of the recent Cyclospora outbreak arose, we promptly removed all potentially affected products from the market and out of an abundance of caution even initiated an even broader recall for all iceberg lettuce from the region,” the company stated. Taylor Farms added that it voluntarily suspended all iceberg lettuce procurement and production in central Mexico and hired independent experts to review safety procedures at its facilities.
The company also noted that as of August 5, 2026, the FDA reported no confirmed positive test results for Cyclospora on tested product samples.
Industry-Wide Reliance and Risk Management
As one of the largest fresh produce suppliers in North America, Taylor Farms distributes products to supermarkets, restaurant chains, and food service operators nationwide. This market dominance makes it challenging for regional operators to completely avoid the supplier’s network. Gera urged fellow restaurateurs to seek alternative suppliers where possible and recommended implementing strict in-house safety measures, such as maintaining salmonella test kits in commercial kitchens, for any businesses unable to sever ties entirely.
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