Some people’s jalapeño peppers might have a secret ingredient that no one would want: Salmonella bacteria.
Federal health officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers that have been distributed widely throughout the U.S. Hundreds of cases across more than half of the country have been reported so far, while dozens have ended up in the hospital. The major distributor implicated in the outbreak has recalled its pepper products, and two Mexican-style chain restaurants that purchased the products—Chipotle and QDOBA—have temporarily pulled peppers from their menu or have switched to a different distributor.
Pepper illness
This outbreak is being caused by a strain of Salmonella Javiana bacteria. Salmonella is rarely life-threatening, but it can cause miserable episodes of diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps that typically last between four and seven days. Children under five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to severe illness.
At least 345 people in 27 states have been infected with the same outbreak strain, and 36 people have been hospitalized as a result, though no deaths have been reported as of yet. According to federal health officials, the first known cases date back to June 19, while the latest reported cases were on July 20.
Officials have linked the outbreak to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, that were distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors to other distributors, restaurants, and food service companies. Of those cases with known information (191), over 90% (177) reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant prior to feeling sick, including Chipotle and QDOBA stores, both of which obtained their peppers from Coast Citrus.
The current risk
Foodborne outbreaks tend to be much bigger than officially reported, since many people will recover without seeing a doctor or obtaining testing. Yet the main danger of this outbreak may already be starting to pass.
Beginning on July 20, Chipotle switched its pepper distributor for impacted locations and is no longer serving linked products; on July 28, QDOBA momentarily stopped including jalapeños on its menu altogether.
“Given their actions to remove product from their stores, FDA does not consider there to be a current ongoing risk from these establishments to consumers in this outbreak,” the Food and Drug Administration stated in its latest update Wednesday. According to the agency, Coast Citrus has also agreed to recall any remaining products implicated in the outbreak and is in the process of identifying and reaching out to affected customers.
Federal health officials say that restaurants and other customers who received recalled peppers should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces the products touched. People who recently dined at a Mexican-style restaurant and have fallen ill should seek medical care, the agency added.
Though this outbreak might be running out of steam, it’s been a busy season for foodborne illnesses. Another recent outbreak of Salmonella led to the recall of 1.5 million eggs, while 2026 has been the worst year of the parasitic disease cyclosporiasis ever recorded in the U.S., with multiple ongoing outbreaks (including a new one listed by the FDA just yesterday).
