Taylor Farms

Taylor Farms
Company typePrivate
Founded1995 as Taylor Fresh Foods
FoundersBruce Taylor
HeadquartersSalinas, California, U.S.
Key people
Bruce Taylor, CEO
ProductsLettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, other vegetables
Number of employees
20,000[1]
Websitewww.taylorfarms.com

Taylor Fresh Foods (known colloquially as Taylor Farms) is an American-based producer of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. It is based in Salinas, California. Taylor Farms[2] was founded by former Fresh Express (now Chiquita) founder and CEO Bruce Taylor in 1995. As of 2009, Taylor Farms was ranked as the world's largest salad and fresh-cut vegetable processor.[3] The company distributes its produce through third parties such as Golden State Foods to several California school districts and chain restaurants, such as McDonald's and Chipotle Mexican Grill.[4]

History

Taylor Farms was established by Bruce Taylor, a third-generation member of a family engaged in the fresh produce industry. Prior to Taylor Farms, Bruce Taylor founded Fresh Express, which Chiquita Brands later acquired. In 1995, Bruce Taylor and a group of partners founded Taylor Farms.[5]

In May 2011, Taylor Farms acquired River Ranch Fresh Foods, LLC, incorporating it as a wholly owned subsidiary.[6] However, River Ranch later closed operations in 2013.[7]

In August 2015, the company moved their headquarters to downtown Salinas, California.[8][9]

In April 2024, Taylor Farms acquired FarmWise, an agricultural technology robotics company specializing in precision weeding and thinning solutions.[10]

The company took an approximate 16% stake in Pacific Valley Bancorp in 2025.[11]

Operations

Taylor Farms supplies many of the largest supermarket chains and foodservice restaurants in the United States.[12] Taylor Farms headquarters are located in Salinas, California with 2,000 employees; and with regional processing plants in various locations.[12]

Taylor Farms has faced difficulties with labor shortages, labor contractors, and salaries.[13] In addition, the company has been subject to claims that they abused the 'temporary worker' contractors by keeping the 'temporary' employees as low-salaried long-term employees.[14][15]

In 2012, Taylor Farms introduced fuel cell technology as an energy efficiency development, cutting energy costs at one facility by 30%.[16] The company has also developed a facility utilizing power co-generation, wind, and solar energy.[17][18]

Food safety recalls

Taylor was one of the companies whose products were recalled due to food safety concerns in 2011, including a May recall of salads mixed with grape tomatoes supplied by Florida growers and an October recall of salad blends produced by Taylor. No illnesses related to consumption of the recalled products were reported.[19][20] Additional product recalls in 2012 included mangoes voluntarily removed August 30 by Taylor Farms New Jersey and retailers from East Coast food stores in four states.[21] Drew McDonald, vice president of national quality systems for Taylor, had testified at a 2009 house panel convened to consider the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. In this testimony, McDonald emphasized that Taylor Farms relies on preventive, science‑based safety systems to ensure product quality, arguing that traditional finished‑product testing is less effective. He also highlighted the company’s major investments in modern facilities and processes to maintain high food‑safety standards.[3] On October 25, 2024, Taylor Farms announced a recall after it was linked to the E. Coli outbreak[22] stemming from raw onions consumed at McDonald's that were sourced from the company.[23] 104 people were impacted, including one death, with a FDA inspection finding numerous violations in food safety procedures at the Taylor Farms facility.[24]

A dedicated Taylor Farms recall page was launched on the company’s website in October 2025 to keep customers updated in the event of future product recalls[25]. The company uses this page to provide information such as product details, affected regions, and steps for consumers when a recall is announced.

Teamsters Union protest

In 2016, members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union, protested in front of Chipotle restaurants, aiming to pressure the chain to recognize their supplier, Taylor Farms, to the union.[26]

References

  1. ^ "Our Story".
  2. ^ "Bruce Taylor". Hartnell College Foundation / The Western Food Safety Conference. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Sherry, Kristina (July 17, 2009), "Farmers critical of food safety bill", Los Angeles Times, retrieved September 10, 2012
  4. ^ Chamlee, Virginia (April 14, 2016). "Why Chipotle Is Getting Hit With Farm Worker Protests". Eater. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  5. ^ "Our Story - Taylor Farms". Taylorfarms.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  6. ^ "Taylor Fresh Foods acquires River Ranch". Thepacker.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  7. ^ "River Ranch fails to 'regain viability,' closes". Packer. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  8. ^ Donnel, Jessica (August 18, 2015). "Taylor Farms Opens its New Salinas Headquarters". Andnowuknow.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  9. ^ "Produce giant Taylor Farms buys new Salinas building - from itself - for nearly $38 million". Montereycountyweekly.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  10. ^ "Taylor Farms buys FarmWise to keep ag robotics alive". Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  11. ^ Heeb, Gina (February 1, 2026). "When the Last Local Bank in Town Turns to a Global Salad Company for Help". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Taylor Farms Locations". Taylor Fresh Foods. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  13. ^ "Taylor Farms and employees reach pay raise agreement". Thecalifornian.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  14. ^ Main, Capital and (May 28, 2014). "The Dirty Truth Behind Fast Food Lettuce". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018 – via Huff Post.
  15. ^ Carroll, Rory (November 23, 2014). "Billion-dollar California salad company exploits undocumented migrants, say workers and Teamsters". the Guardian. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  16. ^ "Corrected: Alternative energy powers Taylor Farms salads". Thepacker.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  17. ^ "Taylor Farms wants to make food without fossil fuels". Techcrunch.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  18. ^ "Taylor Farms Introduces Largest Solar Installation To Date". Foodmanufacturing.com. October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  19. ^ Rizzo, Denise Ellen (May 4, 2011), "Salads with grape tomatoes recalled", Tracy Press, retrieved September 10, 2012
  20. ^ Lunsfod, Mackensy (October 20, 2011), "Taylor Farms recalls 3,625 cases of salad blends due to potential salmonella contamination", Mountain Express, archived from the original on October 22, 2011, retrieved September 11, 2019
  21. ^ Collins, Nikkita (September 4, 2012), "Mangoes recalled from campus Wawa", The Daily Pennsylvanian, retrieved September 10, 2012
  22. ^ Tin, Alexander (January 10, 2025). "FDA finds little handwashing, dirty equipment at McDonald's supplier linked to E. coli outbreak". CBS News. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  23. ^ "McDonald's says supplier Taylor Farms is source of onions in deadly E. coli outbreak". NBC News. October 25, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  24. ^ Mole, Beth (January 13, 2025). "Biofilms, unwashed hands: FDA found violations at McDonald's ex-onion supplier". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  25. ^ "Product Recall Information". Taylor Farms. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  26. ^ Castellon, David. "Union targets Taylor Farms through Chipotle". The Salinas Californian. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
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