WASHINGTON — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a multistate salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeno peppers on Wednesday, with 345 cases confirmed and 36 people hospitalized, prompting Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA to pull jalapeno-based items from their menus.
The CDC identified jalapeno peppers sourced from the Mexican state of Sinaloa and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors as the likely contamination source. Epidemiological investigation and supply-chain tracing pointed to the distributor as a common link among confirmed cases.
“Epidemiologic and traceback data show that jalapeno peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors may be contaminated with Salmonella Javiana and are making people sick,” the CDC said in a statement.
Salmonella Javiana is one of several hundred recognized serotypes of the salmonella bacterium that routinely cause foodborne illness in the United States. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Most healthy adults recover without treatment within four to seven days. For children, elderly individuals, and people with weakened immune systems, infection can become severe.
The CDC said Chipotle and QDOBA do not currently pose a risk to customers, an indication that both companies had already removed the implicated supply from their distribution networks before the agency’s public announcement. Coast Citrus Distributors had not issued a public statement as of Thursday.
The US Food and Drug Administration is conducting the investigation jointly with the CDC. The FDA has regulatory authority over fresh produce under the Food Safety Modernization Act.
The 345 confirmed cases represent only a fraction of actual infections. Salmonella infections that resolve without medical attention are rarely reported. The CDC estimates that confirmed outbreak cases reflect a small share of total infections in any given episode. The investigation is described as ongoing.
Jalapenos from Mexico were implicated in a significant US salmonella outbreak in 2008, initially attributed to tomatoes before federal investigators identified fresh peppers as the source. That episode contributed to the FDA’s increased scrutiny of produce crossing the US-Mexico border and accelerated adoption of traceability systems among large distributors.
The CDC advised consumers uncertain of the source of their jalapeno peppers to discard them. People who have experienced salmonella symptoms after consuming jalapenos in recent weeks should consult a healthcare provider.
