Jalapeño peppers linked to salmonella outbreak traced to Mexican farm and distributor
Federal officials have identified a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, and U.S. distributor Coast Citrus Distributors as the source of jalapeños tied to a multistate salmonella outbreak that has sickened 345 people.
Federal investigators have traced jalapeño peppers associated with a multistate salmonella outbreak to a farm in Sinaloa, Mexico, and to Coast Citrus Distributors, which imported the peppers into the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 345 people in 27 states have been infected, with 36 hospitalizations and no deaths recorded.
The outbreak investigation found that 93% of the 191 interviewed patients had eaten at Mexican-style restaurants, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba, between June 14 and July 14. Both chains said they removed the jalapeños from affected locations, and CDC officials noted that the removals eliminate a current ongoing risk to consumers.
Qdoba said it proactively withdrew the peppers from all its restaurants, while Chipotle removed them from some sites. Sweetgreen also took the jalapeños off its menu, where they were used in two dressings. The Food and Drug Administration is assessing whether any of the contaminated peppers reached grocery stores and may issue further recall information.
Mexican health authorities have opened an investigation and visited a packing plant in Nuevo León. The CDC highlighted that salmonella infections cause about 1.35 million illnesses annually in the United States, with higher risk for young children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals.