Federal health officials confirmed Wednesday that 345 people across 27 states have fallen ill due to a salmonella outbreak tied to jalapeño peppers, prompting both Chipotle and Qdoba to remove the ingredient from their menus out of caution.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated the contaminated jalapeños were supplied by California-based Coast Citrus Distributors and sourced from Mexico. The affected peppers were distributed to restaurants including Chipotle and Qdoba, as well as potentially to grocery stores. No deaths have been reported, though 36 individuals have been hospitalized.
Minnesota and Colorado reported the highest number of cases, with 110 each, followed by Illinois (30 cases) and Kansas (13 cases). The remaining states affected include 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.
Chipotle and Qdoba Take Action
Chipotle announced Tuesday it had removed jalapeños from its menu “out of an abundance of caution,” while Qdoba followed on Wednesday, stating it had “proactively removed jalapeños from all our restaurants.” The CDC confirmed that neither restaurant currently poses an ongoing risk to consumers since the contaminated product has been removed.
Coast Citrus Distributors Agrees to Recall
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that Coast Citrus Distributors has agreed to issue a recall of the implicated jalapeños. The FDA began investigating multiple ingredients linked to the outbreak on July 22, though no additional suppliers or restaurants have been named.
State Health Departments Investigate
Minnesota state officials noted that most cases in the state involved individuals who had eaten at Chipotle between June 14 and July 14. The remaining cases were linked to a variety of Mexican-style restaurants, according to Carlota Medus, a senior epidemiologist supervisor in Minnesota’s Foodborne Disease Unit.
Salmonella Infection Overview
Salmonella infection typically results from consuming raw or undercooked produce contaminated with salmonella bacteria. Symptoms often include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, typically appearing 6 hours to 6 days after infection and lasting 4 to 7 days.
Health officials continue to urge consumers to verify the source of jalapeño peppers they purchase, as the FDA is still determining whether the contaminated peppers reached grocery stores.