Chipotle and Qdoba remove jalapeños as retailers pull salsa and guacamole
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported 431 salmonella infections across 32 states, with 57 people hospitalized. The agency identified jalapeño peppers distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors as the likely source of the outbreak, which the CDC describes as the latest of several foodborne illness outbreaks this year.
Coast Citrus Distributors supplies jalapeños to several popular Mexican-style restaurants, including Chipotle and Qdoba. Both restaurants have removed jalapeños from their menus this month. State and local health officials have interviewed people sickened in the outbreak, and about 91% reported eating at Mexican-style restaurants, including Chipotle and Qdoba.
Taylor Fresh Foods — the company tied to the cyclospora outbreak in lettuce that began in July — has pulled salsa and dip products that contain the recalled jalapeños. Whole Foods has also issued a recall on products that include jalapeño peppers, including guacamole, pico de gallo, and salsas.
The outbreak is believed to have begun between June 19 and Aug. 2. Earlier this month, the CDC had reported 345 confirmed cases in 27 states. More than half of all cases have been reported in Minnesota and Colorado.
Symptoms of salmonella infection include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever, and can begin between six hours and six days after infection.
A separate cyclosporiasis outbreak in the United States continues to expand. The CDC reported 15,716 confirmed cases across 47 states on Monday, an increase of 1,821 from the prior week, with another 12,000 cases under investigation.