Salmonella outbreak traced to Mexican jalapeño peppers
U.S. health authorities are investigating a multistate Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 345 people in 27 states, with 36 hospitalisations and no reported deaths. The outbreak has been linked to jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed in the United States by Coast Citrus Distributors. Federal agencies – the CDC and the FDA – say the peppers were supplied to restaurant chains, most notably Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba, where the majority of patients (93%) reported eating. Both chains have voluntarily removed the implicated jalapeños from all locations and replaced them with product from other growers. The FDA is conducting a traceback investigation to determine whether any of the peppers reached grocery stores and may issue additional recalls. State health departments, including Minnesota’s, have identified 110 cases in that state alone, while Colorado and other states report similar numbers. The outbreak coincides with a separate cyclospora lettuce outbreak, heightening scrutiny of fresh produce supply chains.
Entities: Carlota Medus · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Chipotle Mexican Grill · Coast Citrus Distributors · Food and Drug Administration · Laurie Schalow · Minnesota Department of Health · QDOBA · QDOBA Mexican Eats · U.S. Food and Drug Administration · jalapeño peppers
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 15 SOURCES] The FDA is conducting a traceback investigation of multiple ingredients, including jalapeños. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Chipotle replaced the removed jalapeños with product from different growers. (Chipotle)
- [● 15 SOURCES] 84 patients were interviewed; 75 reported eating at Chipotle between mid‑June and mid‑July. (Minnesota Department of Health)
- [● 15 SOURCES] Chipotle removed jalapeños from some of its restaurants. (Chipotle Mexican Grill)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Minnesota Department of Health identified 110 salmonella cases linked to the outbreak. (Minnesota Department of Health)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Carlota Medus said the department is not currently concerned about Chipotle but the outbreak could continue. (Carlota Medus, Minnesota Department of Health)
- [● 14 SOURCES] The removal was due to a potential link to a salmonella outbreak. (Chipotle Mexican Grill)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Chipotle's shares fell about 8‑9% after the announcement. (Market data)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Coast Citrus Distributors agreed to recall the affected jalapeño peppers. (Coast Citrus Distributors)
- [● 8 SOURCES] No deaths have been reported from the outbreak. (U.S. health authorities)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Chipotle and QDOBA removed jalapeño peppers from their menus and locations. (Company statements)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Salmonella outbreak has sickened 345 people across 27 U.S. states. (CDC and FDA)