Taylor Farms recalls H-E-B salad kit in Texas over undeclared soy and almonds

Taylor Farms is recalling a single salad kit sold under the H-E-B store brand in Texas after determining that the product may contain soy and tree nuts, specifically almonds, that are not listed on the label. The recall notice, posted to the FDA's recalls database on Oct. 27, covers the H-E-B Backyard BBQ Chop Salad Kit, a 13.4-ounce bagged product carrying a "best if used by" date of Oct. 30, 2026.

The company said no adverse reactions had been reported as of the announcement, but it warned that people with soy allergies or tree-nut sensitivities "may be at risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction" if they eat the product without knowing it contains those ingredients.

What is being recalled

The affected product is identified by UPC 041220300457 and was sold in plastic bags exclusively at H-E-B stores in Texas. Taylor Farms, which manufactures and packages the kit, did not say in its FDA filing how the undeclared ingredients came to be present, a detail the notice leaves unaddressed. The recall notice lists a single affected best-by date, suggesting the issue is tied to a specific production run rather than an ongoing labeling defect across the product line.

Coverage from NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth and the produce-industry trade outlet FreshPlaza confirmed the same product details, the 13.4-ounce size, the UPC, the Oct. 30 date and the Texas-only distribution, matching the FDA's own listing.

Why undeclared allergens matter

Soy and tree nuts are two of the nine major food allergens the FDA requires to be listed on packaging under federal law, alongside milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, peanuts and sesame. For someone with a diagnosed allergy, a trace amount of an undeclared allergen can trigger anaphylaxis, a rapid, whole-body reaction that can close the airway and, in severe cases, be fatal without prompt treatment. That risk is the reason allergen-related recalls are treated seriously even when, as in this case, the company says it has not received any reports of illness or injury.

"There have been no reported adverse reactions to this product to date," the company said in its recall notice, while cautioning that people with soy or tree nut allergies are "at risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product."

Who is affected

The recall is geographically narrow: the kit was sold only at H-E-B locations in Texas, where the chain operates hundreds of stores and is the dominant grocer in much of the state. Anyone who bought the Backyard BBQ Chop Salad Kit with the Oct. 30 best-by date should check the UPC on the package rather than assume the product is safe based on taste or appearance, since allergen contamination is not something a consumer can detect by inspection. H-E-B is accepting returns for a full refund regardless of whether the customer still has a receipt, consistent with the chain's standard recall-handling practice.

Taylor Farms, headquartered in Salinas, California, with the packaging operation named on this recall notice located in Dallas, is one of the largest suppliers of bagged salads and fresh-cut vegetables in North America, producing kits sold under retailers' own store brands as well as its own label. The company has been the subject of allergen-related recalls in prior years, underscoring that labeling errors at high-volume fresh-food processors can recur even at a company with established food-safety protocols.

What's next

The recall remains active and open on the FDA's enforcement database as of this writing. Taylor Farms has not said whether it has identified the root cause of the mislabeling or whether any other products from the same production facility are under review. Consumers with the affected kit are advised to discard it or return it to any H-E-B store for a refund rather than wait for further instructions, and to contact Taylor Farms directly with questions about the recall.