A salmonella outbreak linked to Mexican jalapeños has sickened more than 300 people in 27 US states

While U.S. authorities continue investigating a cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce and monitor a recent Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs, a new incident has once again put the spotlight on the safety of fresh produce. This time, a Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, has sickened at least 345 people across 27 states and hospitalized 36 others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to the agencies, the jalapeños were distributed in the United States by Coast Citrus Distributors, which has agreed to recall the remaining products and notify its customers. The investigation found that the products were shipped to restaurants, including Chipotle and QDOBA, as well as other establishments. As a precaution, both chains removed the ingredient from their menus while the investigation continues.

QDOBA said it proactively removed jalapeños from all of its restaurants “out of an abundance of caution” and is cooperating with public health authorities. Chipotle had previously removed the jalapeños from restaurants that received the affected product and switched suppliers beginning July 20. The FDA said QDOBA stopped using the jalapeños on July 28.

Health officials said that because the affected products have already been removed from both restaurant chains, they do not believe there is an ongoing risk to consumers dining at those locations.

According to the CDC, the majority of cases have been reported in Colorado and Minnesota, with 110 illnesses in each state. Illinois has reported 30 cases and Kansas 13, while infections have also been identified in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The FDA said illnesses began between June 19 and July 20, the period during which people consumed the contaminated jalapeños.

In Minnesota, state health officials found a strong connection between the cases and Chipotle. Most of the people interviewed during the investigation reported eating at one of the chain’s restaurants between June 14 and July 14, particularly between June 24 and July 2. The remaining patients said they had eaten at various Mexican-style restaurants.

Federal officials are continuing to investigate whether the contaminated jalapeños were also distributed to grocery stores. So far, the FDA said there is no evidence that Coast Citrus supplied them directly to supermarkets, but it advised consumers and businesses to verify the origin of their jalapeños and not to eat, sell or serve the recalled products from Sinaloa.

Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms typically appear between eight and 72 hours after exposure, and while most healthy people recover within a few days without treatment, the infection can be more severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

The outbreak comes at a time of heightened concern over food safety in the United States. At the same time, authorities are investigating a widespread cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants and supplied by Taylor Farms’ operations in central Mexico. That investigation was recently expanded to 15 states, raising renewed concerns about the safety of fresh produce supply chains.