3 weeks ago
Salmonella Outbreak Prompts USDA Alert on Recalled Jalapeños
Some jalapeño peppers got tiny germs on them that can make people sick.
The germs are called Salmonella, and they can cause diarrhea, fever, and tummy aches.
Lots of people got sick after eating at Mexican-style restaurants.
Food safety experts from the government investigated where the peppers came from.
They found that the peppers came from a farm in a place in Mexico called Sinaloa.
A company called Coast Citrus Distributors sent the peppers to restaurants all over the United States.
The experts told everyone to stop using and eating the peppers, and restaurant chains like Chipotle and QDOBA did.
They also told people to throw away any food that had these peppers in it.
Most people get better on their own, but 36 people had to go to the hospital.
No one died, and the investigation is still going on to keep everyone safe.
USDA's FSIS issued a public health alert for meat and poultry products containing jalapeños that may be contaminated with Salmonella.
345 people in 27 states have been infected with Salmonella Javiana, with 36 hospitalizations and no reported deaths.
FDA traceback identified a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, that supplied jalapeños to Coast Citrus Distributors as the likely outbreak source.
Of 191 people interviewed, 93% said they ate at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming ill.
Chipotle switched suppliers on July 20 and QDOBA stopped using the implicated jalapeños on July 28; no ongoing consumer risk remains at QDOBA.
- Who
- The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), FDA, CDC, and produce distributor Coast Citrus Distributors; consumers across 27 states are affected.
- What
- A public health alert for meat and poultry products containing recalled jalapeños potentially contaminated with Salmonella, linked to a multistate outbreak.
- Where
- 27 US states; the jalapeños were traced to a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico.
- When
- Illnesses began between June 19 and July 20, 2026; the alert followed a recall of fresh jalapeños.
- Why
- The jalapeños are the likely source of a Salmonella Javiana outbreak that has sickened 345 people and hospitalized 36.
Key facts
- Illnesses
- 345 across 27 states
- Hospitalizations
- 36
- Deaths
- None reported
- Pathogen
- Salmonella Javiana
- Likely Source
- Fresh jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico
- Distributor
- Coast Citrus Distributors
- Illness Onset Period
- June 19 to July 20, 2026
- Restaurants Involved
- Chipotle and QDOBA
Quotes
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
U.S. federal agency overseeing food safety
“The FDA said its traceback investigation identified a common grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, that supplied jalapeños to Coast Citrus Distributors as the likely source of the outbreak.”
livemint.com
“FSIS said additional meat and poultry products could be added to the alert as authorities identify more products containing the recalled ingredient.”
livemint.com
Coast Citrus Distributors representative
Representative of the pepper distributor
“The company has agreed to the recall and is working with the FDA to identify and contact affected customers.”
livemint.com
Sources
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