Up to 17 cases of salmonella in California have been linked to pre-packaged, pre-diced onions—both the yellow and red varieties.
Specifically, the Gill's Onions brand based in Oxnard, California, is being called out. This warning extends to the brand's mirepoix blend with carrots and celery. The Center for Disease Control reports that bags with the "Use-by" dates between August 8, 2023, and August 28, 2023 are affected and should not be consumed.
While the data doesn’t say where in California, it's fair to assume at least a few cases could have been in Los Angeles, given it’s the region's most populated city.
No L.A. TACO staff members have ever seen taquerías—of either the brick and mortar or streetside variety—using pre-diced onions, so there's no need to immediately start ordering your tacos "sin cebolla" out of fear that you could be ingesting these tainted onions.
However, if you're the kind of home taquero or taquera that likes to save a few minutes, partaking in the convenience of sprinkling your tacos with pre-minced onions out of a bag, keep an eye out for this specific brand and read your enjoy-by dates.
